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THE 



POETRY OF TRAVELLING 

IN THE 

UNITED STATES. 

BY CAROLINE OILMAN. 

WITH ADDITIONAL SKETCHES, 

BY A FEW FRIENDS ; 

AND 

A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS, 
BY REV. S. OILMAN. 



The Traveller delighteth in the view 

Of charge and choice, of sundry kind of creatures, 

To mprk the habits, and to note the hue 

Of far born people, and their sundry natures, 

Their shapes, their speech, their gait, their looks, their features. 



Breton's Longing ojja^ Blessed Heart. 



<^'- ' 



/ NEW.YOR'i^^ Washing-' 
S. COLMAN, 141 NASSAU STREET. 
1838. 



Entered according to Act of Congregs of the United States of America, 
in the year 1838, by Samuel Colman, in the Clerk's Office of the District 
Court for the Southern District of New-York. 



^ 



N E w - Y o R k: 

PriiJted by Scatcherd & Adams. 

No. :«Goid Street. 



^^/ 



THIS WORK 

13 GRATEFULLY DEDICATED 

TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WHOSE HOSPITALITY 

MADE TRAVELLING POETICAL, 

BY 

C. G. 



PREFACE. 



A WORK of the character here presented to the 
public carries upon its " very head and front " 
its own recommendation or its failure. It makes 
no pretensions to add much weight to the stock 
of literature. It will prove a sufficient satisfac- 
tion to the author, should it be found to give 
new interest to the valuable department of the 
pleasant reading of the day. The intention was 
to present something in the same volume which 
might prove attractive to both the Northern and 
Southern reader ; to make the book particularly 
a gratifying and instructive companion to all 
classes of travellers who circulate through the 
land ; and if it come to this, it will be a source 
of gratification to the writer, as it is presumed 
it may be to all who love that land, to find some- 
thing done, in this manner, to increase a good 
sympathy between different portions of the coun- 
try. 



CONTENTS. 



'Es OF A Northern Excursion. 








Page 


Norfolk, - 


- 


- 


- 


1 


Washington, D. C. 


- 


- 


- 


3 


Congressional Burying Ground 


I 


- 


- 


8 


May Day, - - - 


- 


- 


- 


12 


Mount Vernon, 


- 


- 


- 


18 


Baltimore, 


- 


- 


- 


22 


Armelle Nicholases Account of Herself , 


- 


- 


27 


Philadelphia, 


- 


- 


- 


30 


Released Convict's Cell, - 


. 


- 


- 


51 


J^ew- York. 


. 


. 


. 


53 


Gowhannus, Long Island, 


- 


- 


- 


62 


Fishkill Landing, 


. 


- 


- 


63 


The Fairy Isle, and the Lady Archers, 


- 


- 


m 


The Faeries' Song, 


- 


- 


- 


67 


The Domestic Squirrel, - 


- 


- 


- 


68 


Denning' s Point, Fishkill, 


- 


- 


- 


70 


West-Point, 


- 


- 


- 


71 


We St- Point Eagle, 


, 


, 


- 


74 


Troy, - - . 


^ 


- 


- 


77 


Sortg of the Wanderer, 


- . 


- 


- 


80 


Saratoga, - - - 


- 


- 


- 


84 


Saratoga Lake, - 


- 


- 


- 


87 


Utica, 


- 


- 


- 


88 


Music on the Canal, 


- 


- 


- 


92 


Trenton Falls, - 


. 


- 


- 


95 


Auburn, - - . 


» 


- 


- 


98 


Canandaigua, 


- 


- 


- 


100 



CONTENTS. 






Page 


Buffalo, - - . - - 


- 101 


Niagara Falls, Upper Canada, - 


- 106 


Cataract House - - . - 


110 


Kingston, Lake Ontario^ - . . 


- 116 


Montreal, - - - - - 


119 


Quebec, - - . . . 


121 


Burlington, - . - - 


131 


Bellow's Tails, - - . . 


133 


Watertown, - . . . 


- 134 


Cambridge, - - - , 


138 


PAi ^gte Kappa Celebration, - 


- 145 


Washington's Elm, - - . 


155 


Mount Auburn, - - - - 


164 


Worcester, - . - - 


173 


fifa^ew, ----- 


- 178 


Charlestown, - - . - 


185 


Quincy, --_-.- 


189 


iWr. Dowse' s Library, Cambridge port, - 


190 


Boston, - - - . _ 


190 


Mr. Alcott's School, 


193 


Swedenborgian Chapel, - . - 


197 


S«cre(i Music— Children's Church, 


198 


Bethel Church, . - - - 


200 


o<^^, 


- 203 


St. MichaeVs Spire, 


206 


TES OF A Southern Excursion. 




Excursion itp Cooper River, 


211 


Chatsworth, Ashley River, 


- 223 


A Southern Scene, _ - - 


272 


JV/«ry ATiTia Gibbes, the Heroine of Stono, 


238 


Sullivan's Island, - - - - 


245 


il So%Uhern Sketch, 


250 


The Blind Negro Communicant, 


- 255 


Southern Local Sketch, . - - 


257 


Private Collection of Paintings, - 


260 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

Sketches from Buncombe ^ - - - - 268 

Mountain Lodge, ----- 281 

Letters from, Georgia— The Gold Mines, - - 284 

Tallulah Falls, ----- 295 

Hymn — Palls of Toccoa, - - - - 299 

Coweta Falls, ----- 305 

Scenery on the Chattahouchie, - - - 310 

The Soldier^s Mound, _ - - - 316 

Private Journal from Charleston to New- York, - 325 

Dialogue between Body and Spirit, - - 325 

The Private Conveyance, - - - 327 

The Stage Coach, - . . - 335 

The Blue Ridge, ----- 336 

French Broad River — Paint Rock, - - 341 
The Bed Sulphur, the Salt Sulphur, and the White 

Sulphur Springs, ----- 348 

Lexington, Va. ----- 356 

The Natural Bridge, - - - - 359 

Wyer^s Cave. - - - - - 361 

A Week among Autographs. 

Autograph Collections, - - - - 373 

Anecdote of Campbell, - - . - 377 

The Science of the Autograph Collector, - - 378 

Curious Letters, ----- 384 

Letters from Distinguished Foreigmrs, - - 391 



#^^ 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 



Norfolk, April 24, 1836. 

'' Once more upon the waters ! yet once more ! 
And the waves bound beneath me as a steed 
That knows his rider." 

The sea, however, was not unto me " like a horse 
that knows its rider," but rather like an old mule 
that kicked and jerked backward. Yet let me not 
say a word against the South Carolina, that bore 
me from Charleston. She is a " brave ship," and 
long may she stem the waves in security, transport- 
ing happy hearts in her ocean cradle, an emblem 
of the State whose name she bears. Let me not 
recal mere physical suffering, nor the wry looks of 
ladies with soiled night-caps, and the more forlorn 
aspect of sea-sick men with long beards ; it is 
enough that it was a bright April day when we 
neared the Chesapeake. How curious are the as- 
sociations connected with a name ! I had been 
amused in early life with the term Rip Raps ; and 
all the books and newspapers in the world could 
not divest me of the association of belaboured 
knuckles, until I saw this odd-looking fortification, 
and felt that 1 was gazing on a favorite retreat of 
the first officer in our country. And Point Com- 
1 



2 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

fort too, — old Point Comfort ; it is a very great 
piece of simplicity to acknowledge, but I was quite 
startled with the uncomfortable looking guns. Spring 
was slowly advancing, and it was pleasant to see 
stripes of green struggling through the discoloured 
grass on the banks, like a smile on a harsh counte- 
nance. 

The Marine Hospital is a noble edifice externalh^ 
and I learned that it is equally well arranged in its 
various departments ; but two officers told me that 
nothing w^ould induce them to avail themselves of 
its advantages. How extensively this feeling pre- 
vails with regard to such establishments ! I learn- 
ed, for the first time, that there is a tax of two dol- 
lars levied on every individual who arrives in this 
country, whether native or foreigner, for the main- 
tenance of the United States' Navy Hospitals. 

Norfolk appeared to me to have been underrated 
in its appearance ; — however it may be, I enjoyed 
the good fare at a well-attended hotel, walked in 
business streets that looked busy, and in retired 
streets where the hand of taste had not been idle. 
A beautiful flower, now pressed in my Bible, was 
gathered for me by a fair hand in a choice green- 
house on Sunday, and I found a noble temple in 
which to offer up my grateful thanks to God for 
guiding me thus far. I must stop to give merited 
praise to the crowded congregation in Bishop 
^' Mead's church, for the oneness with which they 
joined in the forms of the Liturgy. They knelt to- 
gether, rose together, and their voices ascended in 



^ NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 3 

religious harmony from the pews with the fine 
choir above. No individual looked as if the ser- 
vice was for others and not for him. 

A polite acquaintance conducted us, on Saturday 
afternoon, to the Navy Yard and Dry Dock at 
Gosport. After crossing the ferry we entered 
Portsmouth, and a little cluster of houses on the 
right, called Charleston, stirred up associations that 
might well claim a rivalry, insignificant as was the 
spot, with the noble work of art we were to contem- 
plate. 

Washington, D. C. 

I enjoyed beyond description our excursion up 
the Potomac in the fine steam-boat Columbia. A 
fresh, pure breeze threw new life into my frame ; 
friends, as agreeable as kind, beguiled the way ; and 
the sun, bright and clear, shone above without ex- 
hausting me. The captain of the Columbia has 
been sailing up and down the river forty years. 
When asked if his sleepless nights did not injure his 
health, his reply was, that he became sick if he did 
not keep awake four nights in the week, and was 
actually made so once by sleeping every night for 
a fortnight. 

The shad and herring fisheries produce an ani- 
mated effect at this season of the year on the Po- 
tomac. Nets are thrown out all along for many 
miles ; and the fishermen's huts, with their curl- 
ing smoke, scattered along the shore, and their 
skiffs, apparently reposing on the waters, give a 



4 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

picturesque effect to the scene. Our captain inform- 
ed us that some of the nets are three miles long ; in 
this case the fishermen have to take advantage of 
the tide to aid them in drawing them in. The sea- 
son of fishing lasts but six weeks. 

And now Mount Vernon appeared. I had had 
dreams, or thoughts like dreams, of this scene from 
childhood. My earliest idea was, of a high moun- 
tain set apart, where I fancied Washington to have 
stood, taller and larger than other men, dictating to 
the country. Older fancies came, and I have thrown 
the light of imagination round the spot, while his 
figure in the front ground grew bright in the con- 
templation. The place was actually before me now, 
and my heart thrilled with the consciousness that he 
had stood there, that there his dust reposed, that 
there were nurtured those thoughts which made me 
pohtically what I am. I am not given to tears, but 
they started to my eyes. I put the world behind 
me as a vain thing, and was alone with Washing- 
ton. 

We reached the city. I would rather, for my 
own taste, have seen the capitol divested of the 
dome ; but it is an imposing building, and the more 
I look upon it, the more I enjoy its beautiful propor- 
tions and its emerald terraces. 

And now it is midnight, and I am here. It is 
only five days since we bade farewell to Charleston. 
A serenade of French horns is sounding before our 
residence. I know not how many fair hands are 
drawing aside their curtains, for one is as much a 



NOTES OF A NOKTHERN EXCURSION. 5 

stranger to one's next neighbor in these large esta. 
blishments as in a crowded city, 

I should have said that we passed the evening at the 
rooms of one of the members of the House. It was 
really amusing to hear the announcement of names 
from all quarters of the Union. If any thing can 
remove prejudices, it is coming here and seeing this 
variety. But prejudice is a tough old knot, and 
will not be removed half the time without killing 
root and branch too. Here are persons whom I 
have not seen for years, with the same little tricks, 
graceful or otherwise, of manner : one plays with 
his fingers, another rubs his thigh, another feels his 
chin, just as he did twenty years ago, and keeps 
his likes and dislikes in the same proportion ; he is 
the same man, too, perhaps, for good and for evil. 

Thanks, indeed, for my good fortune. Mr. Clay 
speaks to-morrow on the Land Bill. I can scarcely 
think of sleep when this prospect is before me — such 
a realization of my wishes — indeed, thus has it been 
with me since my last final struggle to quit for a 
while my quiet home. Blue skies have looked 
down, kind hands have been extended, kind hearts 
opened, and now in the field of mind I am likely to 
reap a rich harvest. 

One feels, on leaving the quiet South, passing ra- 
pidly on, and entering Washington while Congress 
is in session, as if inhaling gas. Any one of the 
attractions here would be great singly, but when one 
combines the imposing view of the public buildings, 
refined and various society, where the play of so- 
1* 



6 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

cial feelings softens the glow of powerful intellect, 
and the debates, where mind follows mind like wave 
upon wave, now showing the light foam of dancing 
billows, now rushing and sparkling like a gathered 
sea, and swallowing up the less powerful waters ; 
all these things coming suddenly on a retired indi- 
vidual, are for a few days bewildering. 

The galleries were crowded to hear Mr. Clay's 
speech — (many suppose his last.) The Land Bill 
is a hackneyed theme, and Mr. Clay was oppressed by 
indisposition ; but still I saw the power beneath, with 
which he has wielded, and will, under other circum- 
stances, still wield the lever of human sympathies. 
He spoke three hours. There is something as sub- 
lime as melancholy to me in the decline of a states- 
man ; and the thought, that a mind which has ruled 
so many minds should lie by like a severed branch, 
would be only melancholy, if the doctrine of immor- 
tality did not come in and tell of its probable tri- 
umphant change hereafter, when the knee shall not 
tremble, nor the hand be raised to the moist and 
dizzy brow, nor the voice grow tremulous with age 
or care. The mind of this great man did not seem 
to me to be faded. There is the shadow of an 
eclipse rather over his heart than his intellect, which 
will, must burst forth again and again. 

A visit to Washington is certainly imperfect 
without an introduction to the President. Nothing 
can be more striking than the gentleness and cour- 
tesy of his manner to ladies and youth, contrasted 
with his energetic will. He pronounced, at our 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 7 

visit, a tender and beautiful eulogium on his late 
pastor in this city, as being " one of those good 
trees which were known by their fruits." 

The Congressional burying-ground is an interest- 
ing place, though not so picturesque as such a spot 
should be. The monument to Gerry, former Vice- 
President, is rich ; but there is a setness about the 
long line of tombs of the senators and representa- 
tives rather chilling to the eye which associates 
poetry with the grave. It has been mentioned to 
me as a favorite idea with some of the members of 
Congress to make Mount Vernon the Congressional 
burying-ground ; to erect the great Washington 
monument there, and remove those which have been 
raised on the present site. This would indeed be 
worthy of the noble plans which have already been 
accomplished in the capitol and its grounds. Whe- 
ther, however, there is not something more touching 
in the lonely burial-place of our country's idol, even 
if its waving trees and natural flowers are not 
better suited to those deep musings which absorb 
him who comes to pay his tribute to that shrine, it 
is difficult to say. 

Many laborers are at work on the Congressional 
burial-ground in this city; but every thing looks 
stiff, as if the unconscious occupants there were 
really placed for show. 

Tomb nods to tomb, each marble has its brother, 
And every monument reflects the other. 

In a drive this morning with Colonel and his 



8 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

lady, we saw a solitary grave in the woods ; and its 
contrast to the studied character of the Congres- 
sional burying-ground led my thoughts into the fol- 
lowing train : — 

THE CONGRESSIONAL BURYING-GROUND, 

AND THE WOODLAND GRAVE. 

The pomp of death was there, — 
The lettered urn, the classic marble rose, 
And coldly, in magnificent repose, 

Stood out the column fair. 

The hand of art was seen 
Throwing the wild flowers from the gravelled walk; — 
The sweet wild flowers, — that hold their quiet talk 

Upon the uncultured green. 

And now, perchance, a bird 
Hiding amid the trained and scattered trees, 
Sent forth his carol on the scentless breeze, — 

But they were few 1 heard. 

Did my heart's pulses beat'? 
And did mine eye o'erflow with sudden tears, 
Such as gush up 'mid memories of years. 

When humbler graves we meet 1 

A humbler grave I met, 
On the Potomac's leafy banks, when May^ 
Weaving spring flowers, stood out in colors gay. 

With her young coronet. 

A lonely, nameless grave, 
Stretching its length beneath th' o'erarching trees, 
Which told a plaintive story, as the breeze 

Came their new buds to v/ave. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

But the lone turf was green 
As that which gathers o'er more honored forms ; 
Nor with more harshness had the wintry storms 

Swept o'er that woodland scene. 

The flower and springing blade 
Looked upward with their young and shining eyes. 
And met the sunlight of the happy skies, 

And that low turf arrayed. 

And unchecked birds sang out 
The chorus of their spring-time jubilee ; — 
And gentle happiness it was to me, 

To list their music-shout. 

And to that stranger-grave 
The tribute of enkindling thoughts, the free 
And unbought power of natural sympathy, 

Passing, I sadly gave. 

And a religious spell 
On that lone mound, by man deserted, rose, — 
A conscious presence from on high ; which glows 

Not where the worldly dwell. 



I was surprised to find myself as much interested 
in the House as in the Senate. The play of features 
is more diversified, the range of passion wider. In 
the midst of some eloquent and powerful passages of 
Colonel Bell of Tennessee, I saw a lad enter, and 
present a bunch of hyacinths to an old gentleman, a 
member. If his thoughts did not wander to some 
far-off spot, where flowers were tended by young and 
loving hands, I know not the language of eyes ; but 
while I was romancing, another lad entered, and pour- 



10 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed biscuit enough for a family-supply into the table- 
drawer of another member, and my speculations were 
changed. 

I am never weary of looking at the capitol, in all 
its various external and internal arrangements. I 
give myself eye, ear, and soul even to the most in- 
consequential debates, and when certain men do rise, 
1 feel such a thrill rush through my heart as makes 
me feel that enthusiasrri belongs not to youth only. 

I have considered self fortunate in hearing a 
debate mostly from western men, in the senate, on 
the subject of removing obstructions in the Missis- 
sippi ; not that there was much eloquence — indeed, 
the subject did not call for it — but that I witnessed 
developements of the state feeling, which seems to 
be growing throughout our country. Oh, that west, 
ern giant ! how it is striding along — all sinew, and 
nerve, and impulse, like its own rushing river, bear- 
ing down obstacles, and treading with its great foot 
on things heretofore held immoveable. 

Washington is not, as I expected, a good place for 
removing mere state feelings. My constituents ! the 
very phrase carries with it a host of local sympa- 
thies, perhaps prejudices. 1 see other great men 

beside C and P in the senate, but how is 

it that when they rise I feel as if the reputation of a 
father or brother was at stake ? I meet in society 
gentlemen of brilliant minds, and sound thought, and 
polished manners ; but how is it that the Southern 
delegates seem to me clothed with double interest 1 
The secret is all in state feeling. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 11 

I am sorry for this, sorry for the clanship which 
prevails, for it seems to me that at Washington the 
Union only, and its great interests, should fill our 
thoughts ; but thus it is ; and I am carried away 
by the stream, a'nd a word against Carolina is a per- 
sonal offence to me. 

Amid the clanship, however, there is a general 
and beautiful courtesy, which in private leads to the 
happiest results ; a pleasant jest is the very hardest 
weapon used, and that sparingly. The extreme 
Northern and Southern members are on terms of 
the most agreeable intercourse. 

A singular, and to me affecting contrast to the 
general tone and contents of the public buildings 
here, is presented by the exhibition of the Indian 
portraits and costumes in the War Department, and 
the display of mrchanical art in the patent office.* 
It speaks a language of such power, that if one had 
time to think in Washington, it would afford mus- 
ing for the day ; but one is hurried away — a debate 
is to be heard, where some speaker is to move or 
try to move the nation ; or a party for Mount Ver- 
non are going to steal from this busy scene, and 
grow pensive over the tomb of Washington, or 
Georgetown is to be visited, with its institutions ; the 
Jesuits' college, curious from its calm contrast to 
this hurrying spot, and the Nunnery, where young 
voices are tuned to harmony in a quiet so deep that 
even the ripple of the world's waters is not heard 

* This valuable building has been destroyed by fire. 



12 NOTES OF A NORTnERN EXCURSION. 

or mere fashion calls us, with its imperative voice, 
to look at some new shrine'; or etiquette, still more 
imperiously forces us from what we would, to what 
we must do. 

May. 

The May Day Ball. Nature will not be crushed 
even at Washington, or rather Carusi, in his bril- 
liant saloon, erected her banner last evening. Bat 
Nature was crushed, poor thing, at Carusi's, who, 
with all his art, could not control the immense con- 
course which pressed to see the Queen of May and 
her Floras as they passed in procession up the hall. 
Many a mother's heart leaped as the thought of her 
absent ones rushed upon her memory while looking 
on those young flower-crowned brows. 

I was glad that I could not hear a word of the 
addresses, though I stood close to the Queen ; I 
was glad that the fair crowner, when she unpinned 
the wreath from her pretty blue cushion that was 
handed her by a little cupid-boy, clapped tlie pin in 
her mouth, though it had not the effect of Demos- 
thenes' pebbles ; I was glad of all this, because it 
showed that, though the society is necessarily very 
artificial here, these young creatures were still na- 
tural beings. Had the pretty crowner deliberately 
replaced her pins in the cushion, and spoken oratori- 
cally, I should not have loved her half so well. The 
May day ball gives an interesting view of Washing- 
ton. Every lady in the city is invited, and every 
gentleman may attend by purchasing a ticket for a 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 13 

small sum. What a mixture of emotions are swel- 
ling in such a crowd ! I met a friend of my youth 
unexpectedly. She kissed me with sudden impulse, 
and there was a struggle with her tears. An In- 
dian passed us — not perhaps, 

" A man without a teai*,'' 
for he was dressed in the costume of civilization, 
except a brilliant belt of bead-work, that told us what 
he hud been. 

" The stoic of the woods" 

had become a Washington beau. 

Almost the first small sleeves that have been seen 
in America for seven years appeared at Carusi's, 
on the person of a Virginia lady, who has been to 
France. What a sensation ! There was half a 
shudder among the company as they felt the im- 
mense sacks on their armvS, contrasted with those 
new sleeves without one relieving plait, tight — tight 
as a suit of armour, from the shoulder to the elbow. 
A pair of black mits w^ere on the arm, which ren- 
dered the novelty more striking from the contrast 
in colour, the dress being white. 

Both Houses have adjourned to-day on account 
of the death of Gov. Manning, one of our repre- 
sentatives. This adjournment gives one an oppor- 
tunity for long and delicious conversations with va- 
rious visiters. How delightfully the great men 
here pour out their social and home feelings, if I 
may use the term. Being really at home themselves, 
they give a peculiar charm to a stranger's intercourse. 



14 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

I am alternately attracted by the deep running 
stream of political thought in one, the playful, fan- 
ciful sallies of another, and the calm, dignified, af- 
fectionate manners of others from different quarters 
of our country. 

I attend the debates, I flatter myself, with right 
views ; not with an eager curiosity to hear this or 
that man, a desire perhaps subdued by private in- 
tercourse, which furnishes a richer knowledge of 
characters and minds ; not with a nervous anxiety 
about any particular question ; but, gazing on the 
great stream of things, I watch, with almost equal 
interest, the leaf that is floating down the tide, and 
the mighty bark laden with thought and power. 
The Houses are like a vast map, on which, though 
there be small as well as large cities laid down, they 
are inhabited by human beings, who belong to the. 
whole family of our country, and the spot which 
now seems insignificant may be destined, in the 
many commercial and political changes to which 
we are incident, to be "a great people." Such, too, 
may be the varied destinies of the minds and the 
topics brought together here. 

To a feminine glance, the Navy Yard at Wash- 
ington is more attractive than at Gosport, from its 
neat and tasteful arrangement. There is something 
in visiting a great war-vessel that fills my mind for 
a long time. It is a perfect poem, from its first 
giant arrangement on the stocks, until it is sent forth 
to its intended work of destruction, a miniature 
floating world. The Columbia, now fitting out at 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 15 

the Washington Navy Yard, and carrying fifty-four 
guns, is less in dimensions and power than the Vir- 
ginia at Norfolk or the Pennsylvania at Philadel- 
phia. I was glad of an opportunity of visiting her 
with an experienced and intelligent officer. She is 
finished but not furnished, and the eye therefore is 
not deceived by attractive decorations, but takes in 
her immense capacity, in all its apparent simplicity, 
but actually consummate art. The armoury in the 
yard is as prettily arranged as a lady's boudoir, and 
it presents a curious association of thought to see 
such deadly weapons of destruction a matter of taste- 
ful exhibition. 

All the iron work for the United States' Navy is 
made in this yard. The steam apparatus is wonder- 
fully simple and beautiful. I watched the operation 
of moulding the red-hot iron with those huge trap- 
hammers ; and as my head was full of Congress at 
the time, I likened the heated and flashing iron to 
the members, excited in debate, when down comes 
upon them, in some powerful mind, a trap-hammer of 
legislation, and shivers and moulds them at its will. 

There are a kw trophies here of considerable inte- 
rest ; two brass cannon, taken at Tripoli, on the 
grounds ; a lion, the figure-head from the Macedonia 
in the armoury, and others which I forget. 

Mr. Clay and Mr. Walker of Mississippi have had 
some sparring. Mr. Clay was excited, and in ten 
minutes showed more of character, and withering 
satirical power than in his whole speech on the 
Land Bill. I could scarcely realize that he was the 



16 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

calm speaker who dwelt so long on argumentative 
illustrations and numerical details. The shake of his 
arm was like Jupiter's ; and the repetition of some 
single word, for which he has lon<? been distinguish- 
ed, was singularly effective. 

To-day I attended a religious service at the capi- 
tol. The waves of the world had rolled off; even 
the echo of a stormy debate of the preceding day on 
the frontier appropriation bill had died away, and we 
were left, amid that beautiful hall, with its lofty pillars 
and arching dome, to commune with the Deity. The 
congregation sat in the seats of the members. Ma- 
ny persons remark that their attention is distracted 
by the associations of the place ; but to me, who have 
yet a lingering touch of enthusiasm, the solemnity 
was rather enhanced by them. I felt what the Sab- 
bath is ; how it comes in like some messenger of love, 
throwing a curtain over sleeping care, or light- 
ing up a torch to animate our future way. Mr. Hig- 
by, the officiating chaplain, is an earnest, dignified 
speaker. " Now is the day of our salvation," was 
his theme ; and he is not answerable, if we who heard 
him did not look far down into our own hearts, and 
avail ourselves of the " accepted time." The service 
of the Episcopal Church was read. A distinguished 
senator from the south-west appeared to be intently 
studying his prayer-book until the service commenc- 
ed, and afterwards joined loudly in the responses. 
His air was extremely devotional. I should judge 
him to be a real lover of the Liturgy. 

I have seen nothing more curious than the con- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 17 

trast in appearance between certain two prominent 
aspirants for the Presidential chair. They look as 
if they belonged to different worlds. The one, with 
his floating gray hair claims the epithet venerable, — 
perhaps neither of the candidates would be satisfied 
with that term. 

This evening an Indian came to an officer at our 
lodgings on business. We clustered round him. He 
was a Chief of the Chippewa tribe from Michigan, 
dressed in a rich and becoming costume, with broad 
silver belts round his arms and wrists, large, glittering 
silver ear-rings, and scarlet trimmings. He has re- 
cently returned from England. He went out with six 
of his tribe, and three died of the small-pox, among 
them his wife and nephew. He told us that she 
was buried in London, and that a grave-stone with her 
name was there. He came to Washington to nego- 
tiate about the lands of his tribe. Some of our party 
asked if he was -going to move westward. " Cut 
head off first," was his reply ; and he laughed so long 
and loud, that it was painful to hear him. 

The chief topic of interest in the senate to-day 
was the memorial from Philadelphia, requesting Con- 
gress to acknowledge, at as early a period as possible, 
the independence of Texas ; and this brought out a 
varied play of character in the ardent Preston, the 
dignified Webster, Judge Porter of Louisiana with his 
keen and happy humour, Mr. *** with his old combi^ 
nation of set words and high-flown figures, and Mr. 
Buchanan and Mr. Shepley, with less striking cha^ 
racteristics, but still all marked. 
2* 



18 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

In the House was a discussion of the Exploring 
Expedition, in which Reynolds has been so long in- 
terested. I consider myself happy in having heard 
Mr. Phillips of Massachusetts, in a lucid and elegant 
speech, in which he dwelt with great eloquence on 
the character of the merchant. 

MOUNT VERNON. 

The fashionable world of Washington were roll- 
ing off to the race-course on the 10th of May, when 
we started for Mount Vernon. The sky was clear, 
and nature in her happiest spring garments. The 
road from Washington to Alexandria is in good or- 
der, but the scenery not particularly attractive. I 
think the distance- is nine miles. No one wish- 
es to linger at Alexandria, except he should meet, 
as we did, an old resident who can defend warmly 
what is defensible, and show the few interesting 
objects to be seen ; indeed, it is a curious step 
from Alexandria to Mount Vernon ; the one teeming 
with the most worldly associations, and the other 
sacred to the highest feelings of our nature. 

The road to Mount Vernon from Alexandria is in- 
tolerably bad, and no one probably passes it with- 
out thinking before he arrives, that he has paid too 
dear for his whistle ; but once place your foot on 
that mount, and if a spark of sensibility is within 
you, it begins to kindle ; and as you tread on the 
walks which Washington planned, as you gaze on 
the waters of the Potomac, where his eye often re- 
posed, as you note the green-house where his noble 



^-0TE5 OF A NORTHEEX EXCURSION. 19 

mind loved to rest with nature after its toils, as you 
see the books in his library, (that spot which brings 
one mind so near to another,) and remember that his 
hand turned the pages of that history for informa- 
tion, or that Bible for comfort, as you see the christ- 
ening bowl over which his name was probably pro- 
nounced, and his young spirit dedicated to God, and 
then turn to the spot where rest his remains, and 
fancy that spirit matured, glorified, a partner of an- 
gels, a glow, such as is only known in a few precious 
golden moments of existence, is felt rushing over 
your soul, touching an electric chain from the far 
past to the endless future. 

And yet sadness follows, for decay is on that spot ; 
the summer. house is a ruin, and the rest of the esta- 
blishment would be, did not some members of the 
family, at a considerable sacrifice of time and ex- 
pense, reside there a few months of the year, to pre- 
serve it from the depredations of visiters tand natural 
decay. The soil is too unproductive to render the 
place an object of pecuniary consideration. 

The dwelling-house had originally four small rooms 
on a floor, but General Washington added a dining 
hall of handsome dimensions and finish. Too much 
of the old furniture is removed ; it would have been 
in good taste to have allowed at least one room to 
remain as it was at his death. 1 wish Congress 
would superintend the spot, and by requests and re- 
wards get back as much as possible of what was 
once there. 

I have conversed v/ith several of the Washington 



20 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

statesmen about Mount Vernon, One seemed to 
think it might be bought if the family did not ask 
too much for it, and be kept as a kind of national 
show, and support itself! One was for having it the 
Congressional burying-ground, with the proposed 
monument towering on its heights. One thought it 
should remain in the family of Washington while the 
name lasts, and that Congress should make an appro- 
priation for its preservation, and appoint keepers to 
superintend it, but most of them shake tlieir heads, 
and think that nothing can be done just now. Oh, 
what a burning indignation will be felt by and by 
against this generation, when that summer-house 
which Washington erected, does totter to the ground, 
when that green-house no longer presents a relic of 
his taste, when those walks where his feet trod are 
covered with the wild grass, and the walls which 
sheltered him, decay and fall. 

Any stranger can visit the ground : — to see the 
dwelling-house, you must send in a card, and a letter 
of introduction of course is necesary for an admis- 
sion to the family. Nothing could be more cour- 
teous than our reception ; and the gentle, and grace- 
ful, and dignified lady who presides there, mingles hap- 
pily in our associations with the memory of him who 
has sanctified the scene. 

Washington private parties are like all others. 
Delightful conversation is interrupted by delightful 
music, and delightful music drowned by delightful 
conversation, so that neither can be enjoyed ; just as 



yoixs or a soKTHETRy rxcr2=T: 



one hez'ins to ieel the 

anotner is brou^it to be iDtrodiiced ; just as you are 

tM^nning tlie pT^lj &ce of a bdk, c 

features of a Uoe, die thrcmg driTcs an - 

BOW and then a roar of lau^iter frocL 

t^k TOO that a joke is going on, whicL 7 

fiw off to hear, and as yon see the ice-c 

within your reach, it is whiried away : r Ba. 

bei sounds are at thdr height, yc*: - : 

bare nothing to say, and on lookir „ 

just as idle starers : — ^yoa b^in 

and a roddng-chair, and repose. --- - t - - =-■ 

and awaj. 

But the c^ianD of Washington is its 51L1I- 7 arries : 
there mind pours itself ont in its beautifii: ani strong 
Taneties. No lassitode is felt, for the erer-n.^ing 
ware of noTdtj brings its daily sapplies, reiresLiiig 
and adding to the soil of tboaght. I may s-ome- 
timt^ hare been disappoiitfed at the CapitoL so 11.^. 
times in mixed society, hot neTer in social in:er- 
course : and it is worth a piigriioage to hear liie 
rich, dispasBionate flow of talk in ***, whose d^aat 
mind misfortone has tooehed bat not lHt>k€ii : the 
varied, illostratiTc, dassical, plajfbl strain of ***, 
whose heart is on his lips, bat whose heart nerer so 
fkr precedes his head as not to show yon how Tomg 
that is ; with the de^ reflecting rmws of ***, who 
fore^ yoa to think, and who seems to hare an in. 
teOectoal diTing-befl, with which he kKfks clearly 
at objects not even seen by the cc^miDon eye. Then 
there is oor Irish senator, the Congre^onal Demo- 



22 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

critus, whose jests in private are sunbeams, but 
in the senate chamber are to his opponents sun- 
beams radiating from steel — these, and many more, 
infuse a life into conversation untouched in variety 
elsewhere. I am absolutely jealous at a large 
Washington party, of the intellectual waste ; not so 
in small circles, where mind acts directly on mind, 
>i apd every thought is treasured. 

Baltimore. 

Washington is behind us — its beautiful Capitol, 
on which the eye lingers in unsated admiration, has 
faded away ; as we leave it the heart is full — the 
mind is full. Great and elevating scenes, farewell ; 
new and tender friends, farewell ; a stranger has 
fed on your thousand flowers, and has borne away 
the hive of memory, overflowing with honied stores ! 

As we entered the rail-road car, an old man took 
his seat in front of us, dressed in homespun, with a 
miserable hat, sun-burnt face, a chaw of tobacco in 
his mouth, and two soiled bundles in his hand. I 
shrank instinctively from the contact, and dreaded two 
hours' intercourse with such a low-looking creature ; 
it even occurred to me that there ought to be a se- 
parate car for well and ill-dressed people. After a 
while he took out an old leather pocket-book, and 
among a few other loose papers, unfolded one which 
had the seal and signature of Lewis Cass ; and as 
my eye ran over the plain printing, I perceived that 
it was the pension certificate of Edward Dennis of 
Maryland, a revolutionary soldier. What a change 



NOTES OV A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 23 

came over him ! There was the difference to me 
in his countenance of Moses when he ascended and 
descended the mount — a glory was around him I • 

The old man turned the paper over and over, 
read it and re-read it. He wanted sympathy. 

" This is worth a long journey," said he at length, 
showing it to a passenger near him ; " four hundred 
dollars down, and eighty dollars a-year, for a man 
seventy-eight years old ;" and he took out the bills 
from the pocket-book, and a large handful of Gene- 
ral Jackson's shiners from his waistcoat. 

I longed to give him my purse to put his money 
in, but was ashamed ; my hand was on it, but I 
drew it back ; it will look too sentimental, I thought, 

" Why have you not applied for a pension be- 
fore ?" said the passenger to whom he had showed 
the bond. 

The old man smiled. " Because I didn't want it. 
You wouldn't have had me ask for it 'till 1 wanted 
it, would ye ?" 

A gentleman, whose name, if I dared to give it, 
would lend a new interest to this little narrative, a 
New England man, but one who takes a deep interest 
in the South, was reading. I whispered to him the 
character of our fellow-traveller, and he laid down 
his book. 

After a while the old man took it up and read, 
without glasses, two or three pages with apparent 
interest. 

" How much might you have given for this book ?" 
said he to the owner. 



24 *^ NOTES OF A N'ORTIIERN EXCURSIOX. 

*' I shall think it a cheap purchase," was the re- 
ply, " if an old soldier of the Revolution will accept 
it ;" and taking out his pencil, he wrote — 

" Presented to Edward Dennis, a soldier of the 
Revolution, by one who is now reaping the fruits of 
his bravery.^' 

The old man smiled as he received the book, 
turned it, looked at its cover, then within ; and tak- 
ing the pencil from the hand of the giver, wrote in 
fair characters the name which he saw on the first 
leaf. But after all he could not realise that it was 
a gift, and, as his pockets were overflowing, he took 
out a dollar. 

" No, no, my good friend," said the giver, *' put 
it up ;" and in a lower voice added, " don't you show 
your money to any body again but your wife." 

" No more I wont," said the old man understand- 

Repeatedly, during the excursion, he gave the 
book, inside and outside, the same long, pleased look 
with which he had received it. 

We reached Baltimore on its noble rail-road, 
when one, whose elegant and varied conversation 
had made two hours seem as moments, and the old 
soldier, with his treasure, went on their opposite 
ways. 

One cannot but be struck, coming from the South, 
with the appearance of the bricks in this noble and 
growing city. The texture is as fine and smooth as 
plaster of Paris, and the colour has peculiar fresh- 
ness. The prevailing idea of English travellers be- 



3fOTES OF A y-j-RTB.Z'R.y EICUE^IOy. 25 

gins to strike me of hcvr rif^r ever.* thin^ looks. 
Tlie square on which the ^^ iSLiiigion Moiiuinienr is 
erected, nill be an omaiLeii: :: which the Baltinoore- 
ans may be prood. The loaiii^iiia sboold be an ob- 
ject of imitation in our more Sonthem eities ; the 
very sound is refreshing: and I loTcd to see Ae 
tliirsty and weary go down the maxUe steps and en- 
joy the common tboogfa prioeleaB blessing of a draoglit 
of water. The fountain in Calvert street is picta. 
resqae. Orer it is a ten^^ of dasic proportions, and 
b^ind it a grassy spot; shaded with trees, where 
diildren find a cool retreat. At one of fiie mazkeis, 
and p^iiaps at others, is a fountain perpetually flow, 
ing, which, though not particulariy ornamental, has 
a pure and eooling aspect, and is paiticolaiiy useful 
in that k>caficHL. 

I attended Vespers at St. Mary's Chapel, which 
is connected with the CoD^e. The building is ama]I« 
but exepadufy proportioned in the Gothic style. 
The Cathedral nay be to others m<Me gorgeous and 
impoang, but give roe St. Mary's Chapel. We en- 
tered as the last glories of the setting son, shining 
throush the Gothic windows, rerealed its fair propor- 
tions. Several young girls went one by one to con- 
fesmOt while a priest dressed the altar with natural 
flow0& Then rose the Te^er faymn. Beautiful 
temple! the differing finms which guide my spi- 
ritual wor^p, did not preToit me from joining in 
the hymn which rose to the Deity in that sunset hour, 
beneath thy arch. 4. 

The Cathedral did not satisfy me. Mr imagina- 
3 



26 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

tion is too busy with its fancies of the gorgeousness 
of European churches. The very word Cathedral 
brings thoughts to my mind that America cannot 
reaUze. The Independent Church, on the contrary, 
from the usual simplicity of that denomination, sur- 
prised me by its elaborate workmanship. Yet the 
Cathedral is really magnificent to an eye accustom* 
ed to the plain churches of America. The decora- 
tions are rich, and the dimensions imposing. I was 
somewhat disappointed in the pictures ; only one of 
them equalled my expectations, though I say this with 
no pretensions high to connoisseurship. I know 
more than one friend in Charleston who would have 
given anything for the beautiful natural tulips that de- 
corated the altars. The temptation was strong to 
have stolen and sent them a bunch or two, and to 
make one's confession afterward. 

The ruins occasioned by the mob are still visible 
here, a sad degrading relic of human passion. When 
we count up our blessings further South, let our ex- 
emption from this evil never be forgotten. 

A rainy day has given me an opportunity of 
looking over a well-filled private library. I do not 
own the old British poets, and therefore seize on 
them when an opportunity occurs. I cannot re- 
frain from copying the following lines from Byrom, 
a poet born in 1691, and commending them equally to 
the sedentary occupant of a rocking-chair, the busy 
housewife, or the curious traveller. They speak of 
truth and duty to all, and I would advise the young to 
commit them to memory. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 27 

ARMELLE NICHOLAS'S ACCOUNT OF HERSELF. 

{^Selected from the Poems of John Byrom.) 

To the God of my love, in the morning, said she, 
Like a child to its parent when waking I flee ; 
With a longing to serve him, and please him, I rise, 
And before him kneel down, as if seen by his eyes: 
I resign myself up to his absolute will, 
"Which I beg that in me he would always fulfil ; 
That the prayers of the day, by whomever preferred, 
For the good of each soul, may be also thus heard. 

If obliged to attend to some household affair, 

I have scarce so much time as to say the Lord's prayer. 

This gives me no trouble ; my dutiful part 

Is obedience to him, whom I have at my heart, 

As well at my work, as retiring to pray, 

And his love does not suffer in mine a decay ; 

He has taught me himself, that a work which I do 

For his sake, is a prayer very real and true. 

I dress in his presence, and learn to confess 

That his provident kindness supplies me with dress ; 

In the midst of all outward employment I find 

A conversing with him of an intimate kind : 

How sweet is the labour ! his loving regard 

So supporting one's mind, that it thinks nothing hard ; 

While the limbs are at work, in the seeking to please 

So belov'd a companion the mind is at ease. 

In his presence I eat, and I drink, and reflect 
How food of his gift is the growing effect ; 
How his love to my soul is so great, and so good, 
Just as if it were fed with his own flesh and blood ; 
What a virtue this feeder — his meat and his drink — 
Has to kindle one's heart, I must leave you to think; 
He alone can express it, no language of mine, 
Were my life spent in speaking, could ever define. 



23 ^■OTES OF A ^-ORTHEE^■ EXCURSION . 

When, perhaps by bad usage, or weariness prest, 

I myself am too apt to be fretful at best, 

Love shows me, forthwith, how 1 ought to take heed 

Not to nurse the least anger by word or by deed : 

And he sets such a watch at the door of my lips, 

That of hasty cross words there is nothing that slips ; 

Such irregular passions as seek to surprise. 

Are crushed and are conquered as soon as they rise. 

Or if e'er I give place to a hiunour so bad. 
My mind has no rest till forgiveness be had ; 
I confess all my faults, as if he had not known. 
And my peace is renewed by a goodness his own. 
In a manner so free, as if after my sin, 
More strongly confirmed than before it had been ; 
By a mercy so tender my heart is reclaimed. 
And the more to love him by its failing inflamed. 

Sometimes I perceive that he hideth his face, 
And I seem like a person deprived of his grace. 
Then I say — 'Tis no matter, altho' thou conceal 
Thyself as thou pleasest, I'll keep to my zeal ; 
I "11 love thee, and serve thee, however this rod 
May be sent to chastise, for I know thou art God ; 
And with more circumspection I stand upon guard, 
Till of such a great blessing no longer debarred. 

But sutf'ring so deep having taught me to try 
What I am in my self-hood, I learn to rely 
More firmly on him who was pi ased to endure 
The severest extremes, to make way for our cure : 
To conform to his pattern, as love shall see fit, 
My faith in the Saviour resolves to submit ; 
For no more than myself (if the word may go free) 
Can live without liim, can he help loving me. 

Well assured of his goodness. I pass the whole day. 
And my work, hard or easy, is felt as a play ; 



JfOTES OP A ZTOKTHEItX EXCrBSIO^. '29 

I am thankful in feelings, boi pleasure or smartj 

I; is raiher himself ihai I love in mv hears- 

When they urge me to mirth, I think, O ! were it known, 

EEow I meet the b^t ciMnpany when Fm alone ! 

To my dear ^low-<reatares, what ties me each hour, 

la the lore of my God to the best of my power. 

At the hoar of night when I go to my rest, 
I repose on his love like a chOd at the breast ; 
■And a sweet peaceM silence invites me to ke^ 
Contemplating him, to my dropping asleqp: 
Many times a good thoogfat, by its gentle delight, 
Has withheld me from sle^ a good part of the night. 
In adoring his love, that continues to share 
To a poor wretched creatore. so special a care. 

This, after my heart was convened at last. 
Is the life I have led for these twenty years past : 
My love is not changed, and my innermost peace, 
Tho' it ever seemed fiilL has gone on to inoease. 
Tis an inficite love that has filled me, and fed 
My still rising hanger to eat of its bread. 
So satisfied still, as if snch an excess 
Could have nothing more added than what I possess. 

Xo one should leave Baltimore without a tribute 
to Pagers admirable hotel : next to the private, do- 
mestic kindness which fell to our happy share, I 
should commemorate Page's. 

As I parted from Baltimore. I felt a desire to know 
more of the place, and of the intelligent minds that 
direct its growing powers. 



3* 



30 notes of a northern^ excursion. 

Philadelphia. 

There is nothing particularly interesting in the 
route to Philadelphia ; one passes along in the luxu- 
rious ease of steam travelling, scarcely sensible on 
the level way of any transition. One interesting hu- 
man object attracted me in the boat, — a Quaker lady 
of the old school. Her cheerful and intelligent look 
and conversation, her peculiar attire, and, more than 
all, her benevolent smile, drew my attention. By 
a curious likeness, however, this Quakeress of sixty 
years, in her drab silk and close hat, was associated 
in my mind with the belle at Washington — their 
sleeves and mits were cut in precisely the same man- 
ner ; thus fashion turns round tiie wheel, and causes 
extremes to meet. 

I missed the lofty forest trees of South Carolina 
in Maryland and Delaware, and there is on the mail 
route, at present, no well-stored farms or attractive 
country-seats to supply the deficiency. There is an 
air of sterility in the soil, and no clustering vine or 
waving moss conceals it with its graceful draper3\ 

Pennsylvania was attained. I cast, in passing, an 
enthusiastic glance at the waters of the Susquehanna, 
and dreams of Wyoming, and snatches of Campbell's 
exquisite poem, rushed across my thoughts. 

The pictures along the way gradually brightened, 
the beautiful city of friends appeared. It was no 
mere name. The welcome hand of friendship was ex- 
tended as we stept on its busy wharves. 

My first curiosity, when I enter a new city, is to 
see what supports and characterises it. At Wash- 



XOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCT7RSI0X. 31 

ington, I looked for statesmen ; at Alexandria I 
sought not, my olfactory nerves at once pronounced 
fish to be the great commercial lever ; at Baltimore, 
I visited the Roman Catholic institutions ; when I 
go to Lynn, in Massachusetts, I shall ask for shoes 
— at Wethersfield, Connecticut, I shall feel bound, 
though I abhor them, to taste onions ; of course, at 
Philadelphia my first inquiry was for Quakers and 
Schuylkill water. 

And delightful it was to me to see the Quakers. 
I involuntarily changed my Southern gait to a 
shorter and trimmer step, I squared my shoulders, 
and kept my countenance straight forward ; I did 
mere. I looked into my heart, and asked if that was 
pure ; I laid closer over it the folds of humility ; I 
brushed away the dust of worldliness, I sheathed the 
weapons of carnal passions, and put on spiritual gar- 
ments. And in the same spirit, after a draught of 
pure water, rendered more delicious by the ice of the 
Schuylkill," I visited Fair Mount,* and rejoiced like 
another Undine in its waterfalls and fountains, and 
felt how the river was like God's spirit, spreading 
somewhere at first in unattainable beauty, then car- 
ried through the dark channels of human life, seem- 
ingly lost until man inquires and strives for it, and 
then breaking out in new modifications, pouring its 
blessings on all who ask, and they are glad, 

* At this spot is the reservoir which furnishes all the inhabit- 
ants of the city with water in the second stories of their build- 
ings. 



32 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

I am most grateful for beauty in all its forms. 
Had I been carried blindfold to the machinery at Fair 
Mount, and then permitted to behold it alone, I 
should have been agreeably excited by its singular 
combination of simplicity and power ; its wheels 
would have rolled on awhile in my memory, I should 
have paid the usual tribute of wonder to man's in- 
genuity, and have dreamt of those iron arms that 
seem so human in their operations ; but now that 
I have gazed on the placid river, marked the shaded 
green of its beautiful borders, seen the sculptured 
images awaking graceful associations, stood by the 
clear basin and felt a longing like youth to rush in and 
stand under its showery fountain, heard the roar of 
the giant Art contending with and counteracting 
the giant Nature, climbed the precipitous eminence, 
and watched the setting sun throwing his golden 
smile on all, this leaves a deeper stamp — the stamp 
of the beautiful ; and as I feel now the cool elements 
on my hands, or taste its freshness, I am carried 
back to that scene on the Schuylkill. 

My knowledge of Wm. Penn is just awakened ; to 
be sure I have seen him in geographies and histories, 
or rather, I have seen a coat with stiff skirts and a 
broad-brimmed hat ; but now the spirit of Wm. Penn 
is around and above me, not divested, I confess, of 
the hat and coat ; he is still a Quaker, but colossal, 
and the skirts of his drab garment sweep over this 
great city. 

The Philadelphians are now ornamenting public 
squares laid out by him, so distant from the original 



NOTES OF A NOBTHERN EXCURSION. 33 

seat of business, that none but his prophetic mind 
could have dared to stretch so far : and yet popula- 
tion has reached them, and in a year or two their 
shade will refresh and beautify the bustling scene. 

I cannot but regret the deficiency of public walks 
in Charleston. Is it not possible, before the spirit of 
utility (if utility has a spirit) claims every thing for 
her own in our fair city, to appropriate in various 
parts of it some spots to verdure and shade, where our 
children can revel amidst glimpses of nature, instead 
of struggling through King-Street for sugar-plums 
and ice-creams ? Our City Square, perfect as it is, is 
limited, and too public. We want our Battery en- 
larged, shaded, and decorated. It has all the elements 
of natural beauty. The avenue from Broad Street 
might be rendered picturesque, and a lot appropriated 
there for a public square. Mazyckboro' affords 
points of great attraction, but a stroke from the stiff 
skirt of Wm. Penn has just touched my fingers, and 
reminds me that I am a humble, inquiring traveller, 
and not a dictator at home.* 

Water is a delicious element, but man wants some- 
thing else ; so I went to the Mint, to see that which 
cannot, however, always command the precious ele- 
ment. This is a perfectly Philadelphian building, so 
chaste and elegant. I felt at first, when I saw the 
steam machines spitting out their gold and silver 



* These suggestions have been already anticipated by the 
City Council of Charleston, who are adopting measures to 
have them sooner or later realized. 



34 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

coins, somewhat of the same elasticity and glee that 
I did at the exploits of the Water Goddess at Fair 
Mount. Creation is the charm, whether it be of an 
atom or a mountain. 

But one turns moralist very rapidly over bushels 
of silver and gold- which one cannot touch. Divers 
forgotten texts of the Psalmist came to my memory, 
and I walked down the steps, as Colderige says " an 
altered man." 

On the banks of the river is a garden called Le- 
mon Hill, which the proprietor has loaned for charit- 
able purposes for a year. It is fancifully arranged, 
though going to decay ; a cavern, — a grotto, — sum- 
mer houses, — seats formed in trees, &;c. lend an 
agreeable variety to the scene. A carved modern 
Cerberus, which is a dog with one head instead of 
fifty or three, guards the cave ; within the grotto is 
a cool spring ; the arbors are gay with flowers, the 
walks smooth and shady ; the views from the man- 
sion picturesque; and when one has done with reverie, 
or sentiment, or abuse, or whatever may be the calling 
of his intellectual nature, his outer man may be re- 
freshed with ice-creams and cakes, in rooms comfort, 
ably arranged, small ones for the ^qw to pour out 
their social communings, or more capacious ones 
for the many to gaze and speculate. If the travel- 
ler should be asked to dine in the city, and half for- 
getting the good cheer, be carried away by high and 
exciting discussion with some full fraught minds, 
and wish to come down gently to his common level, 
let him go with a friend to the sparkling beauties of 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 35 

Fair Mount, or the retirement of Lemon Garden, and 
come home cooled and refreshed to his Mocha or 
Souchong. 

1 had an odd sensation in visiting the Pennsylvania 
Hospital, that Pool of Bethesda, where Charity stands 
to heal the suffering, and where the unfortunate sub- 
jects of insanity are treated with so much humanity, 
skill, and success. I fancied that every body was 
crazy. The sober and polite gentleman who super- 
intends the medical library, the respectable and 
willing attendant who showed us the building, and 
the visiters fresh from the every-day affairs of Ches- 
nut-Street, or the Exchange, were objects of suspicion 
to me. I half shrank when they approached me. 
I am not aware whether this is a common feeling. 

The patients are wisely kept from observation ; a 
few of the gentle and happy only go at large. A 
passing glance is enough to tell the inquirer that all 
must be right in this institution, as far as human 
sagacity can plan, and that the poor victims of the 
sad infliction of insanity are every way more comfort- 
able than when subjected to the irregular habits of 
home. I was allowed to look into the room of a 
Frenchman, whose sole comfort is in reading and 
writing. He has a collection of favorite books, and 
thrusts his writings upon us. 

As we were going through the kitchen, the neat- 
ness of which is remarkable, my attention was ar- 
rested by a smiling looking personage, who was 
boasting that he had just crossed the Red Sea with 
the Israelites ; as we passed him, he took off his hat, 



36 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

and said, bowing profoundly, " the ladies were allow- 
ed to go over first." 

• The insane are to be moved to a building devoted 
exclusively to them. Every thing is as exact and 
neat in the apartments of the sick, as if affection 
had trodden with gentle footsteps around the suffer- 
ers and smoothed their pillows. I left the spot with 
a full heart, and fell that I had been to the gate of 
the temple which should be called Beautiful. 

The scene changes now, and I am at the Deaf and 
Dumb Asylum, where the " unruly member," that 
riots in a Lunatic Hospital, is chained. These are 
institutions which vitally affect the human race ; 
the moralist may own with a sigh the inutility of 
teachings which, as youth never learns but from ex- 
perience, affect only individuals, and cannot reform 
a world ; but these practical efforts are seen and felt 
throughout the constitution of society. Five girls, 
and an equal number of boys, were exercised in trans- 
ferring each other's thoughts, conveyed by motions 
of the hands, to the black board ; the ease with which 
they communicate their ideas, the accuracy of the 
spelling, even the variations of expression, while all 
retain the same thought, the rapidity with which 
they conjugate verbs, compare adjectives, &;c. <fec., 
are singularly interesting; and the kindness with 
which they aid each other when they detect inaccu- 
racies, was not lost on one, who, like me, considers 
an affectionate impulse of the heart worth all intel- 
lectual treasures. We visited the sewing hall, which 
was lined with happy faces, the girls being employed 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 37 

in making various useful articles. This was presid- 
ed over by a Quaker lady, whose pure and placid 
expression seemed a guarantee to the happiness of 
the pupils. Placed among the girls, and apparently 
a pet, was a grandson of Jefferson, a boy of great 
beauty and vivacity, about six years of age. 

The shoe-making establishment is large, and many 
boys were industriously occupied in it. Two rooms 
of instruction are well provided with pictures, charts, 
and different objects adapted to enlarge the know- 
ledge of the pupils, and give accurate notions of gene- 
ral things ; for instance, small phials containing va- 
rious kinds of grain, rice, camphor, &;c.&;c. Then 
there were shells, minerals, a chemical apparatus, and 
other things necessary for more advanced instruction. 
One of the pupils made four years since a little 
steam engine, which is heated by spirits of wine ; 
a track is laid on the floor of two rooms, and the 
Lilliputian affair — 

"Walks o'er the rail-way like a thing of life. 

Nothing can exceed the rapture of the young 
spectators as with increasing velocity it darts by 
with its little hiss and splutter. I half longed to at- 
tach a car full of dolls to it ; I entered far more in- 
to the spirit of its size than into its more important 
associations. Most of the floors and stairs of the 
Asylum are of stone, as security against fire ; what 
boards there are, are exquisitely white, and the kitchen 
is, in neatness, the queen of kitchens. 

But a more affecting sight to me was the Institu- 
4 



38 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION, 

tion for the Blind. There was no public exhibition, 
but a private visit, with an order from a superintend- 
ant, furnished us with a much more favorable view. 
When I think of those sightless orbs, I can hardly 
realize that my name, which I now see so neatly 
printed, together with the watch-guard round my 
neck, in which I can detect no false stitch, is their 
work. After we entered, the teacher asked if I 
would like to have my name printed ; on my answer- 
ing in the affirmative, he called Mary Ann ! A very 
pleasing looking girl of fifteen groped her way easi- 
ly to the table, where the box of blocks was placed ; 
the letters are pricked, not colored. While Mary 
Ann was forming my name, she held a kind of con- 
verse with the blocks, now jesting, now scolding if 
the right letter did not meet her touch, but all in a 
low, pleasant tone. The name was completed with- 
out mistake in a few minutes. A little boy spelt at 
my request, and Mary Ann was next called to read 
a chapter from one of the Gospels in raised letters. 
She reads rapidly, but no oratorical tone has ever 
fallen with such power on my ears as the words of 
Jesus from the lips of that blind girl. The teacher 
then gave out arithmetical questions of great difficul- 
ty, which he himself worked on the black-board. 
Nothing could be more earnest or ambitious than the 
air with which they went to work to calculate, or 
the look of triumph assumed by those who were the 
quickest or the most successful. At this period their 
music master came. There was great eagerness 
and interest in their manner, and many a sly joke 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 39 

was whispered. They began with a German chorus, 
each part nobly sustained, the girls remaining in one 
room and boys in the other. I had been carried 
along by the variety and interest of the scene up to 
this point, not a little aided by the vivacity, even 
drollery, which characterized the manners of many 
of the girls ; but now that their countenances were 
fixed, their sightless orbs mostly turned upward, and 
their voices swelling in a rich concert of praise and 
thanksgiving, my tears could not be restrained ; for- 
tunately the air ceased, and one of Mary Ann's slily 
whispered jokes restored me to self-possession. After 
the German, followed several English airs, which 
again were succeeded by instrumental music, com- 
bining violins, clarionets, flutes, horns, bassoon, bass 
viol, forming in all a really grand concert. The music 
being over, the girls separated, and we visited the 
sewing apartment, where they began to collect, go- 
ing unaided to their various occupations, making 
rugs, straw baskets, watch-guards, bead-bags, &c. &;c. 
As we descended to another room, we found Mary 
Ann at an elegant harp, which has lately been pre- 
sented to the Institution by a Philadelphian. She 
was very shy, but consented to give us her first 
tune ; another young lady played on the piano-forte. 
A singular thing occurred lately in the Institution, 
which, as it was told me, a stranger, without reser- 
vation, I may relate. A young man and girl, both 
blind, having become attached to each other, went 
out of town secretly, unaccompanied, and applied 
to a clergyman to marry them. The youth was very 



40 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

prepossessing in his appearance, and the minister 
was for a little while deceived. At length his suspi- 
cions being roused, he said, "You are blind." It 
could not be denied ; and looking beneath the young 
lady's bonnet, he found her in the same predicament, 
and of course declined uniting them. They were 
sent from the Institution. The capacious building 
which is now in progress, will probably separate the 
different sexes more effectually ; but Love, though 
'blind, has never yet been prevented from finding 
hearts. 

The Exchange is a building, imposing in size 
and beautiful in architecture. The ceiling is in fres- 
co, a new embellishment in our country, but a per- 
fect substitute for carving. I could not appreciate 
the business-advantages of the spot, but I prayed in 
my heart that the upright spirit of Wm. Penn might 
be nurtured in the thousands who tread that marble 
pavement, softening the hard hand of thrift, enlarging 
cunning's crafty eye, and blending the just with the 
essential. 

I was invited by the venerable and urbane Libra- 
rian of the American Philosophical Society to vi- 
sit the rooms of that Institution. Among other at- 
tractive objects, a Ca.rolinian's attention will be ar- 
rested by the Mexican relics presented by our fellow- 
citizen, Joel R. Poinsett, Esq. forming as they do a 
conspicuous group. One of the most interesting 
things to me is a likeness of William Penn before 
he became a Quaker, dressed in the fashion of the 
time ; but Franklin is the presiding genius there. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 41 

I felt this as I sat in his chair, gazed on his mild 
countenance in the various revelations of the artist, 
and read his hand-writing, carrying as it does in 
every line the impress of his mind. State interests 
will probably preclude any great literary or scien- 
tific rallying-point from being established in oar 
Union ; but this Society, from its central position and 
its connexion with the memory of Franklin, will per- 
haps long lay the highest claim to that honor. At 
the suggestion of a celebrated female foreigner, the 
Librarian keeps a book where literary or other dis- 
tinguished visiters insert their names. 

Not the least attractive part of the intellectual feast 
in visiting the Society's rooms is the cheerful old 
age of its venerable Librarian. I confess my thoughts 
often wandered from the curious and exciting objects 
around me, and dwelt on one whose intellectual " sun, 
or light, or moon, or stars," at this advanced period 
of existence, is not darkened. Still may "the silver 
cord" of his life be strong, and the " golden bowl" 
unbroken. When we see such usefulness and phi- 
lanthropy, we do not feel that " all is vanity." 

I have attended St. Stephen's, the St. Michael's 
of this city, an expression that may imply somewhat 
of aristocracy mingled with piety. Here the ideal 
of Episcopalianism is embodied, where form, in its 
most perfect and approved modes, leads the worship- 
per to the Deity ; where the carved columns give 
classic grace to the temple ; where the delicately 
shaded light streams through the stained Gothic 
windows, where is read the studied Liturgy, the re- 
4* 



42 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

suit of thinking minds for successive years ; where 
the organ rises in architectural grandeur, and scien- 
tific voices are trained to praise ; where fashion 
treads with elastic step in floating veils and glowing 
flowers ; and the gay and the great, as well as the 
poor and unhappy, go to bow body and soul before 
the decorated shrinef. 

I have attended the Independent Church, where 
the simple and the elegant combine in architecture, 
where are heard reasonings, which crown the spirit- 
ual heights of man's intellectual dominion, and ap- 
peals which search the hidden depths of his nature ; 
where the throng come to listen and to admire, — 
perchance to feel and resolve ; and I trust, with God's 
blessing, to repent and improve. 

And I have attended a Quaker's meeting. " Oh, 
when the spirit is sore fretted," says the eloquent 
Charles Lamb, " even tired to sickness of the jan- 
glings and nonsense-voices of the world, what a balm 
and solace it is to go and seat yourself, for a quiet 
half hour, upon some undisputed corner of a bench 
among the gentle Quakers ! Their garb and stillness 
conjoined, present an uniformity, tranquil and herd- 
like — as in a pasture — ' forty feeding like one.' 
Wouldst thou be alone, and yet accompanied ; soli- 
tary, yet not desolate ; a unit in aggregate ; a simple 
in composite ; — come with me into a Quaker's meet- 
ing. What is the stillness of the desert compared to 
this place ? What the uncommunicating stillness of 
fishes ? Dost thou love silence, deep as that ' before 
the winds were made V Go not out into the wilder- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 43 

ness ; descend not into the profundities of the earth ; 
shut not up thy casements ; nor pour wax into the 
little cells of thy ears, with little-faith'd, self-mistrust- 
ing Ulysses. Retire with me into a Quaker's Meet- 
ing." 

And to a Quaker's Meeting 1 went, and seated my- 
self on the straight, hard benches, and looked around 
on the human fixtures. There were three of us dress- 
ed like the world's people, restless, leaning on our el- 
bows, trotting our feet, playing with our fingers. I 
had a mind to have slipped off my gay shawl and 
thrown it under the seat, and I tied my bonnet-string 
tighter, that I might shut out a little of the world, and 
look more like the forms before me, which seemed as in- 
animate and breathless as the twenty-four jugs contain- 
ing human beings in the Arabian Nights. I might 
have pulled off a dozen shawls, and it would not have 
moved those spiritual posts, those quiet, intellectual 
craters. I say craters ; for who knows not that pas- 
sion is not crushed, but covered by that outward bear- 
ing — that the most staid Quaker must from his hu- 
man conformation utter groans and tears — that the 
thunder is roaring and the fire raging within, though 
verdure and sunshine be around the mountain ? And 
yet how different were we, the restless triad, from 
that '* forty feeding like one !" I began to fear that 
we should have what Charles Lamb calls " a sermon 
without hands ;" but a young woman took off* her 
bonnet, rose, and facing the assembly, in a clear, mu- 
sical, and most pathetic tone, addressed Death. As 
she proceeded, her voice became agitated, tears roll- 



44 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed down her cheeks, her frame shook with emotion, 
she could not proceed, but, covering her face, sat 
down. 

I was prepared for stillness — repose — calm exhor- 
tation ; but tears — passion — in a Quaker's Meeting 
— 1 should have as soon expected to have seen the 
halcyon fluttering oa a summer's sea. After this 
movement, the silence again deepened like a pause in 
nature, when the elements have been at strife. Even 
we, the worldly triad, sat still, with hands folded, 
heads straight forward, quiet as if the body were not ; 
our hearts were brought in contact with spiritual 
things, and, as Charles Lamb again hath it, I saw the 
dove visibly brooding. 

There was a motion. How quick is perception in 
such an assembly ! — The same individual untied and 
took oflT her bonnet, threw herself on her knees, and 
prayed. The deep pathos of her voice was heard in 
strong supplication, with an earnestness that would 
not let God go ; but tears came again — choked her 
utterance — the words were lost in uncertain trem- 
blings — she sat down — and we were left once more to 
unuttered musings. 

After a while, rose another female, calm as the star 
of evening ; yes, just so clear and lonely as that star, 
walking in its (to us) quiet depth of solitude, though 
we know not how many eyes of light are near it — 
not a ripple of the world's waves was seen on her 
placid face. Her exhortation was to those who, hav- 
ing triumphed over error and seen new light, are in 
danger of abusing their privileges. Self-possessed 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 45 

and rational, she laid open her text, in its various 
bearings, with the precision of a prepared discourse. 
There was a peculiarity in her pronunciation, an ad- 
ditional sound to her final letters, which is sometimes 
heard in Methodist preaching, and which, though in- 
correct, rather enchained attention than excited dis- 
approbation. 

That voice has passed away — we are all passing 
away, and I shall never again listen to its sounds. 
Yet memory will often recall it in some still Quaker- 
like moment of existence, amid my far-off duties ; and 
who knows but when relieved of earthly weights and 
prejudices, that gentle voice, even if in a future world 
it still shrinks from mingling in hymns of harmony, 
may address us in sweet exhortations on eternal re- 
alities ! 

It is hard for me to believe that the voice must die 
— will it not be the voice of those we love, which shall 
guide us to their distant choirs, or call us to some spot, 
apart even in heaven, to tell us in secret of their 
new joys ? I can give up the eye-beam, the lip-smile, 
the touch ; the form may moulder and depart to dust ; 
but surely the voice will only glide away, and wait 
somewhere in silence to welcome us again. 

While walking in Chesnut street to-day, I heard a 
mocking-bird in a cage pouring out its brilliant tones. 
It touched me to the very heart : 

Bird of the South ! is this a scene to waken 

Thy native notes in thrilling, gushing tone 1 
Thy woodland nest of love is all forsaken—' 
Thy mate alone ! 



46 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

While stranger-throngs roll by, thy song is lending 

Joy to the happy, soothings to the sad 1 
O'er my full heart it flows with gentle blending, 
And I am glad. 

And /will sing, though dear ones, loved and loving, 

Are left afar in my sweet nest of home, 
Though from that nest, with backward yearnings moving, 
Onward I roam ! 

And with heart-music shall my feeble aiding, 

Still swell the note of human joy aloud; 
Nor, with untrusting soul, kind heaven upbraiding, 
Sigh mid the crowd. 



I have had the rare privilege of seeing one of those 
links that unite us with past history — one of the few 
individuals, who now remain as noble specimens of our 
forefathers, surrounded by every association that can 
give us an awakening interest in the past. 

Between Philadelphia and Germantown is the coun- 
try-seat once owned and occupied by a secretary to 
William Penn. There, too, lives now, at the age of 
seventy.five, his grand-daughter, standing like a soli, 
tary, graceful pillar on classic ground. Every thing 
under her roof speaks of former days, except her warm 
and tender affections, which, though they shine on 
the memory of the dead, revolve, with a bright phi. 
lanthropy around the living. 

We rode up an avenue through an open lawn skirt- 
ed with woods, until we reached the old brick edifice. 
We entered, and received from its occupant the beau- 
tiful Quaker salutation " Welcome ! I am glad to see 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 47 

thee, friend." She belongs to the true aristocracy of 
our country. She is upright in person, with a clear, 
intellectual eye, and a softness of manner fitted to the 
higher walks of society. She v/as dressed in a nice 
Quaker cap, a short chintz wrapper, and neatly fold- 
ed muslin kerchief. This is her usual costume, and 
it would make a fine lady blush to see how mind, tow- 
ering mind, throws a glory over this simple array. 

I was soon seated in one of her high-backed chairs, 
and as I glanced at the china tiles around the wide 
fire-place with scripture illustrations, showing how 
David slew Goliah, and how the wicked Herodias 
danced before the king, — at the heaufet, filled with 
old china, from whose minute cups was drank, if 
drank at all, the stinted revolutionary draught, — at 
the three legged tables with their broad tops turned 
up against the wall — at the ponderous book-case, 
whose mahogany had assumed almost the hue of 
ebony, yet shining with the housekeeper's brightness, 
— and as our hostess pointed to the sofa and chairs on 
which Wm. Penn had sitten, the table where his se- 
cretary had written, and where ink, to which the re- 
volutionary ink was young, still lay, looking, as she 
said, as if it were sometimes spattered in agitation, — 
as I saw the letters of Wm. Penn, and read familiar 
words, which bring the dead so near to the Uving, — 
when I heard her tell how, when a little girl, she 
climbed the fence and heard the declaration of Inde- 
pendence read, — while she spoke of Washington, and 
Pinckney, and Rutledge, and Jefferson, as companions 



49 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

and friends— I felt the spirit of the Past sweep on and 
brood over the scene. 

There was a sofa, the back of which was higher 
than our heads, which her grandfather had boasted 
was sent out from England as the last fashion, and 
which she said was probably the kind that Cowper 
described as large enough for two. 

The building which has impressed me the most 
deeply, since I saw the Capitol, is the Penitentiary 
of the city. As one approaches its massy walls 
and towers, a European association occurs to the 
mind, (such as reading furnishes,) which is rarely 
furnished in this country. The Philadelphians study 
external elegance in every thing ; one recognises 
this love of the beautiful in their halls, churches, pri- 
vate buildings, dress ; and even in their prisons, the 
melancholy thought of sin and punishment is sof- 
tened by the idea, that every alleviation which care 
and cleanliness, and external attraction can bestow, 
is there. Philadelphia, I must acknowledge, sits like 
a peerless bride among her sister cities, with her 
white wedding garments, and the orange wreaths in 
her hair ! 

As we stood in the inner court of the Penitentiary, 
we saw, on all sides, the long galleries, with wards 
above and below, where each prisoner has a separate 
cell ; solitary confinement being the leading feature 
and principle of the establishment. A very {ew at- 
tendants perform the duties of supervision. While 
we were there, dinner was being served. It v.as 
wheeled in, carefully covered to keep it warm, and 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 49 

delivered in bright tin pans, at each door, slightly 
ajar, and which was carefully shut as we passed. Over 
head, the same distribution was going on in the up- 
per wards, the vehicle being a car propelled on a 
railway. There are two hundred and fifty beings in 
this noiseless region ; twenty-one only are females. No 
convict knows who is his neighbor, or whether he has 
one. Work is provided for them, which they crave 
eagerly, but there is no obligation for them to do it. 
Deprivation of employment is a punishment. 

We were shown a cell just vacated by an inmate 
of many years' standing, as a specimen of all. It 
was capacious, and well lighted from above. By 
simply turning a spout, water, that Philadelphia bles- 
sing, could be procured at any moment ; every cell 
is provided with this luxury ; a flue of a stove also 
runs through each room. A bedstead, which turned 
up against the wall at pleasure, was comforta- 
bly furnished. The inmate had been taught to 
make shoes, and his bench remained with the 
tools as he left it ; among other articles of comfort 
and necessity, was a small looking-glass suspended 
from the wall. This set me busily to musing. To 
think of a man's watching his daily decline for twelve 
or twenty years in that little glass, and see the eye 
grow dim and the hair turn gray, and compare the 
laughing glance of boyhood, or the self-satisfied 
smile of manhood, with the withering touch of age, 
alone — alone ! 

There was a door leading outward from the cell, 
into a small enclosure, surrounded by a high wall, 
5 



50 Ts^OTES OF A NOETHERN EXCURSION. 

where the prisoner was allowed to pass one hour 
daily, watched by a sentinel from above. In this soli- 
tary promenade were several plants, which the prison- 
er had cultivated in his walking hour. At seeing this, 
I again fell into thought. When we are happy, and 
at liberty to gather all plants, from " the cedar of 
Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall," how our affec- 
tions cling to some one flower that graces our win- 
dows or is caressed by our fireside ! How we 
raise its new leaves, and watch its unfolding bud, 
and inhale its odour! What then must be the 
feeling of the prisoner of years when he sees a spon- 
taneous blade of grass or flower springing up in the 
barren earth by his cell ! 

This is indeed a comfortable prison : it would not 
require a great stretch of poetry for the suffering 
poor, who contemplate these things, to say 

O had we a tight little cell of our own, 

In some snugly-built prison, far off and alone ! 

But then the word we or J makes a prodigious dif- 
ference, and therein consists the secret of the Phila- 
delphia Penitentiary discipline. 

In leaving the prison, I found I had been accus- 
tomed to expend too much of the pathetic in sympa- 
thy. Vice never before has had its claims so impar- 
tially balanced, nor has so much mercy ever been 
mingled with so much justice. I left the Peniten- 
tiary with a light heart, but my thoughts recurred 
again to the deserted cell, and were embodied in these 
words : — 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 51 

THE RELEASED CONVICT'S CELL. 

AT THE PHILADELPHIA PENITENTL\RY. 

Within the prison's massy walls I stood, 
And all was still. Down the far galleried aisles 
I gazed — upward and near; no eye was seen 
No footstep heard, save a few flitting guards 
Urging with vacant look their daily round ; 
For in the precincts of each narrow cell, 
Hands, busiest once amid licentious crowds, 
Voices that shouted loudest in the throng, 
"Were now as calm, as erst the winds and waves, 
When Jesus said, be still. 

I was led on 
To where a convict ten slow years had dwelt 
A prisoned man. Released that day, he sought 
The world again. Wide open stood his door. 
Hard by the cell, (where for brief term each day 
He walked alone, to feel the blessed breeze 
Play on his cheek, or see the sunbeam dawn 
Like a fond mother on her erring child,) 
There was a little spot of earth, that woke 
Within my breast a gush of sudden tears. 
His hand had tilled it, and the fresh grass grew 
Rewardingly, and springing plants were there 
One knows not how, lifting their gentle heads 
In kind companionship to that lone man. 

Who can portray how gladly to the eye 
Of that past sinner, came in beauty forth 
Those springing buds, in nature's lavish love 1 
Perchance they led him back, in hcaUhful thought, 
To some green spot, where, in his early years. 
The wild-flower rose like him, unstained and free. 

Oh, many a thought swept o'er my busy mind, 
And my heart said, God bless thee, erring one, 



52 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Now new born to the world ! May heavenly flowers 
Spring up and blossom on thy purer way ! 

A deep, pathetic consciousness I felt 
Stirring my soul in that forsaken cell. 
It seemed the nest from which had flown the bird ; 
Or chrysalis, from whose dark folds had burst 
Th' unfettered wing ; or grave, from whence the spirit, 
Wrapp'd in earth's death-robe long, had sprung in joy. 
Thus be the door of mercy oped for me, , 
And leaving far the prison-house of sin, 
Thus may my spirit range. 

Among the pleasant excursions around Philadel- 
phia, is Bartram's garden, which, besides its own 
botanical value and romantic location, is interest- 
ing from its being the favorite spot where Wilson, 
the ornithologist, pursued his studies. The school- 
house where he taught, is on the road ; and as one 
rides by, his innocent character and useful life press 
vividly on the memory. The dwelling-house at the 
garden is very ancient, and bears this distinct in- 
scription on the outside, placed there by its indom- 
itable Quaker owner, who was charged with heresy 
by his sect. 

'Tis God alone. Almighty Lord, 
The only one by me adored. 

John Bartram, 1770. 

The green-house and nurseries are rich in plants 
and the garden forms an irregular, and therefore an 
agreeable stroll. The pionies, which defy the cul- 
ture of our Southern florists, are here in gorgeous 
bloom. My heart was made glad by the delicate 



NOTES OF A NORTHEEN EXCURSION. 53 

scent and yellow blossom of a barberry bush on the 
highway. There is nothing that recalls the past 
more vividly than the perfume and color of a long- 
forgotten flower. Farewell to thee, Philadelphia ! 
Again I say, in truth, thou sitlestlike a bride among 
thy sister cities ! 

New- York. 
The elements were busy in their gardening opera- 
tions, when I left Philadelphia in the steam-boat 
Trenton, and the rain poured as if Fair Mount and 
the river goddess of the Schuylkill were translated 
upwards. Fortunately, but little of interest is to be 
seen in this route ; fortunately, too, when the ele- 
ments are busy without, the social principle is ac- 
tive, and one has an opportunity, in the suspension 
of what may be called the telescopic view of things, 
to turn to the microscopic, and hold the glass to in- 
dividuals. And I must pause to say, that up to this 
time I have not seen, among the passengers, one 
rude act or look since I entered the steam-boat at 
Charleston for Norfolk. One little group I may 
except ; but to their honor be it said, they strove, 
as much as human nature could, to restrain the feel- 
ing of the ludicrous. They sat near the head of the 
stairs of the Ladies' cabin, which were slippery with 
the dampness of the day. As the passengers came 
in like Cowper's rose-bush, "dripping and drowned," 
there seemed to be no one to communicate this fact 
of slipperiness, and a considerable proportion of the 
company descended to the cabin in an involuntary 
5* 



54 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

slide on their backs. I have said that the scent and 
color of flowers brought back recollections of child- 
hood, but no less is a strong reminiscence awakened 
by seeing an individual slip and fall on his back 
down a flight of stairs. What person in childhood 
has not been the subject of this unexpected indigni- 
ty ? The little group to whom I recently referred, 
appeared for a while to have their moral sense cloud- 
ed ; they thought it almost Quixotic to arrest the 
steps of a hundred people with unsolicited advice, 
and at last it seemed yielded to as a kind of fate, 
that the cabin should be reached by this summary 
process. 

I was able to devote a little time to the reading 
of Sartor Resartus, which has recently been pub- 
lished by subscription at Boston. It appeared ori- 
ginally in Fraser's Magazine, (London,) and its views 
have become a popular philosophy among some en- 
thusiastic admirers. The title implies, the Patcher 
Repatched ; and it is professedly the philosophy of 
clothes, which no one can understand without read- 
ing, and not many with. Carlyle, the author, 
is one of the most exquisite writers in the Edin- 
burgh Review, and has been for some time ex- 
pected on a visit to America. One is first struck with 
the quaintness of the title and arrangement of Sar- 
tor, then attention becomes rivetted to the perfect 
English of the style. It is almost a poem, having, 
with apparent irregularity, a perfect plan in deve- 
loping the course of reflection in a young man, who 
has the usual trials of education, followed by mental 



NOTES OF A NOETHERX EXCURSION. 55 

and bodily afflictions. It is a work to be read with 
pains-taking. Whatever results readers may arrive 
at respecting its religious transcendentalism, no one 
can rise from it without feeling that he has a larger 
mind than when he commenced it, that he has taken 
a higher step in his intellectual movement, and can 
look down to the point from whence he started ; true, 
the new land may be covered with mists and shadows ; 
there may be an unreal rainbow and sunshine 
where it is not, and stars seemingly below, but which 
are, in fact, above ; but still it is a new goal. Some 
will pause and wonder, some return, or stand like me, 
calmly rubbing their eyes for new light, and ready, 
if truth directs, to take another flight. 

The rain was still pouring when we arrived at 
New-York, yet the bustle of the city v/as scarcely 
checked. We passed through Broadway, and reach- 
ed the fashionable residences in Place, where 

all is as quiet as exclusiveness can desire. 1 could 
scarcely believe that while we were sipping our 
tea, thousands of men had collected in the Park, 
with the intention of arresting the verdict of Judge 
Edwards on the strike of the Tailors. As we drove 
through the streets the next day, leisurely, I could 
see the dreadful elements of a mob at every turn in 
the ybreio-Ti faces around me. The most trivial cir- 
cumstance — the drawing a large block of granite, 
the breaking a carriage, &c., attracted a crowd with 
incredible quickness. This city is a striking con- 
trast to Philadelphia. Instead of a bride in her 
wedding garments, New-York looks more like 



56 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

" The old woman who lived in a shoe, 

" Who liad so many children she didn't know what to do." 

The shoe of New- York, however, is of India- 
rubber, and no one can visit the suburbs without feel- 
ing the great progressive impulse which its legisla- 
tors have given to its wonderfully elastic powers. 
Every where its avenues are stretching out their 
long arms, and population is spreading over them. 

After a drive about the city, in which I glanced 
at the Battery, the churches, the public squares, the 
new university, which stands a conspicuous monu- 
ment of improved taste in building, and the wide 
avenues opening on every side with a noble pro- 
phecy of this immensely spreading metropolis, I 
began to single out particular objects. St. John's 
Square belongs to the private residences that en- 
circle it, the occupants of which keep keys of the 
gates. At this season of the year the foliage is 
deep and beautiful. The ground in which the vic- 
tims of yellow fever were interred in the deadly- 
seasons, has been rescued from the encroachments 
of the increasing population, and reserved as a pub- 
lic square. How i^ew think, as they tread this spot 
with light footsteps and hearts, of the once suffering 
sleepers that rest below. 

Near Manhattanville, seven miles from the city, 
is the New-York Lunatic Asylum. Dr. Francis, 
an eminent physician of this city, in a published 
letter on the subject, says that this institution is a 
proud trophy of 3l7\ Eddy's laudable perseverance, 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 57 

and therefore I looked with earnestness and interest 
on the plain portrait of Mr. Eddy in the common 
parlour of the building. And a " proud trophy" it 
was to adjust medical treatment and Christian kind- 
ness to the neglected and mistaken wants of lunacy ! 
Indeed, when we remember the brutal and unphilo- 
sophical treatment of those poor sufferers in a former 
period, it was like saying to darkness, "let there be 
light !" and there was light. The sufferers felt it 
in the amelioration of their wild and restless pain, 
and their friends feel it with hearts of thankfulness 
as they rely on a new and judicious philanthropy. 

There are two hundred and fifty lunatics in the 
establishment. A salutary law allows none of them 
to be seen by strangers, except when introduced by 
the attending physician. In all the cases I have 
seen, the physician is welcomed as a friend. I 
found in their apartments every resource of which 
their situation will admit ; in one was a piano, in 
the hall a billiard-table, balanced seats, battledoors, 
<fec. They ride and walk statedly. About eighty 
attend religious service on Sunday, and those who 
wish, dance to musical instruments on Thursday 
afternoons. The superintendant informed me that 
many of them looked forward with great interest to 
the dance, arrange their dresses, &;c. I was startled 
at first by such a singular combination of ideas, but 
on reflecting, I saw its admirable philosophy in ob- 
taining for them voluntary exercise. From the cu- 
pola I had my first view of the far-famed Hudson, 
or North River. 



58 NOTES OF A korther:^ excursion. 

I visited also the Bellevue Hospital, which is 
supported by the city. There are now twenty-two 
hundred occupants ! It is said that emigrants, on 
landing, inquire for this institution ! There is a 
wonderful air of neatness over this crowded scene. 
I could scarcely believe it, with such a mass. The 
old women looked as if they had been scrubbed with 
soap and sand as well as the floors, which were as 
white as those of a Philadelphian. Bouquets of 
clover and dandelion were placed on the stoves by 
the side of many of these old crones. When 1 re- 
turned to the city, and saw some of the wretches 
about the streets, I thought a change from such 
filth to the stripping and washing, and clean cloth- 
ing of Bellevue, might nearly kill some of them. 

Every American traveller will pause with plea- 
sure at the Academy of Design. It is well before 
or after visiting the picturesque scenes of our coun- 
try, to know what hands are to immortalize them, 
perpetuating their beauties and wonders. We lin- 
gered till twilight in the hall, and were about de- 
parting, when it was lit up by a magic touch, with 
gas, so instantaneously that I could scarcely rea- 
lize it. The light was clear, and beautiful as day. 

We were, of course, attracted by the productions 
of our young fellow-townsman, G. W. Flagg. I 
could not help recalling the time, some years since, 
when I had seen a specimen of his painting handed 
about a drawing-room in Charleston, while the lit- 
tle artist sat blushing, but conscious of his own 
powers. 



NOTES OF A NOKTHEKN EXCURSION. 59 

Hubert and Arthur is a wonderful realization of 
Shakspeare's description. The expression of grief 
and doubt in Hubert, as the young Arthur kneels 
in pleading sorrow before him, would seem to have 
been the result of the experience of years rather 
than the short observation of youth. The Savoyard 
Musician is spirited. 

Chess is a fine personation of a perplexed player. 
The contracted brow of the young man seems to 
bear the weight of a nation upon it. His fair op- 
ponent does not satisfy me ; she is too stiff. As 
far as my recollection serves me, young ladies de- 
cide quickly, and then throw themselves into an 
easy attitude, even in critical states of the game. 
Our Southern party could hardly be induced to pass 
the negro girl who is handing refreshments to the 
chess-players, and who, perceiving her young mas- 
ter in perplexity, is straining her eyes to find out 
the cause. The sketch is perfect ; and reminded 
us of many a sable friend at home, whose prayers, 
we knovi, are often raised for us on our distant 
way ! 

The Nun is to me the least attractive of Flagg's 
pictures. It wants the spiritual grace which is as- 
sociated with our imagination of those God-dedicat- 
ed beings ; but the Match Girl is exquisite ; the 
subdued look of poverty, which seems to be specu- 
lating on its next resource, is very touching ; rag- 
ged and hungry, the grace of youth bursts through 
the whole. 

Those who wish a more extended account of the 



60 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

exhibition will find one in several consecutive num- 
bers of the New-York Mirror by a spirited and in- 
telligent hand. 

1 can scarcely dwell a moment on West's Death 
on the Pale Horse, since one visit is only long 
enough to take in the general conception. When 
I left it, I felt as if I had tasted only one sip of a 
delicious goblet. I shall bear about in my memory 
the great outline until I return in the fall to another 
survey. 

I find the insubordination of the poorer classes a 
theme of constant discussion. One circumstance 
may serve to illustrate the state of things in that 
respect. When driving through Broadway with a 
friend in her private carriage, I observed that a 
ragged boy had jumped on behind. I called her at- 
tention, and asked her why she did not order him 
off? 

" I am afraid to," was her answer ; " the last 
time I did so, I was cursed through Broadway with 
the most revolting and opprobrious epithets ; and a 
gentleman received the same treatment, who was 
with me a short time after." 

Turning to the intruder, she said, quite humbly, 
" Will you be kind enough to get Off"?" and, much 
to her surprise, the boy consented. Is the advan- 
tage of emigration to compensate us for the vices 
and insubordination it is introducing? I hear com- 
plaints respecting servants wherever I go, and I 
think it must arise from their entire separation 
from their friends and relations. I have in vain 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 61 

looked among them to find relatives enjoying each 
other's leisure, and sharing each other's cares ; all 
are strangers to each other ; in every kitchen is the 
isolated American girl, or stout Irish woman, or 
free negro. 

The vast resources of this city, what it has ac- 
complished, and what it proposes ; its delightful lo- 
cation, its literature, and its charities, and, let me add, 
its degradation, have set me to musing, and brought 
out thoughts like these : 

THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. 

Atlantic city ! brightly art thou beaming, 

Throwing thy kindling ray o'er land and sea, 
Enlightening myriads with thy far-spread gleaming, 
Home of the free ! 

Giant of wealth ! thine arm of mighty power 

Sweeps to thy coffers gold from distant shores ; 
While on each asking hand thy Danae shower, 
Its treasures pours. 

Religion's nurse ! on spire and towers still flying, 
The Christian standard floats unfurled and free ; 
Never our bold forefathers' claim denying, 
Mind's liberty ! 

Favourite of nature ! on thy green shore dwelling, 

Bright spring-flowers bloom,— the wild birds carol gay, 
And the green ocean laves thy broad pier, smiling 
In noisy play. 

Haven of ships ! thy storm-tried masts are standing. 

With their tall foreheads to the meeting clouds, 
A floating world— the billowy world commanding. 
With their tough shrouds. 
6 



62 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Syren of pleasure ! in thy halls bright glancing, 

Youth gaily springs, and prunes her buoyant wing. 
Do purity and truth the mirth enhancing, 

Their chorus bring 1 

Oh, mighty city, to thy trust is given 

A moral influence — a Christian sway ! 
Souls throng thy busy streets to people heaven, — 
Let them not stray. 

Atlantic cities ! rouse ye all from sleeping 

Sin's deadly sleep, lest drops of grief be wrung 
From Him who o'er Judea sadly weeping, 

Her death-note sung. 

GowHANNUs, Long Island. 
It was not without delight that 1 left even the ele- 
gances and refinements of the city for the natural 
attractions of this beautiful scene on the bend of 
Gowhannus Bay. The house of my friends stands 
in a valley, with an open view of the sea on one 
side, while on the other runs up a graceful hill, sur- 
mounted by a summer-house, which commands the 
picturesque country around. It is happiness from 
this elevation to gaze on the sun as it sinks behind 
the opposite hill, throwing its parting glow over the 
tranquil waters, or to watch the clouds in the long 
twilight brighten and brighten, and even die in glory. 
Now a boat rowed by young girls shoots out from 
the shore, and their merry, or sacred songs come 
sounding on the pebbly beach ; now laughing voices 
are heard from the strawberry gatherers, who linger 
on the hill, picking the fruit, betrayed by its ripe, 
rosy hue, hanging in unstinted fulness from every 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 63 

stem, and asking only to be gathered ; then come 
deeper shadows on hill and ocean, and lights beam 
out from the many boats, whose white sails yet 
brighten the shaded waters, and the city shows its 
thousand, thousand eyes in the distance, and rockets 
rise sweeping up on the sky till they sparkle and 
are gone ; and then ascends, too, the evening star, 
and the moon displays her young crescent, and we 
feel how impotent is man with his millions of hogs- 
heads of whale oil, his tons of spermaceti, his oceans 
of tallow, and his countless pipes of gas. How is 
he nothing, and less than nothing, compared to those 
planets walking silently in the western sky ! 

FisHKiLL Landing. 
It was raining when we rose on the morning of 
the twenty-first at 5 o'clock, and as we rode through 
the streets of New-York to the steam-boat an hour 
later, they were as quiet as a village. I began to trem- 
ble for the pleasantness of our North River excursion 
as I stepped over the dirty wharves, and entered the 
damp boat, and saw the crowds hurriedly and drip- 
pingly press on board. The last bell rung, the 
rain was suspended, and out came the glorious sun ! 
He scattered the clouds that had been so dense, and 
gave us that chastened light which is best for view- 
ing scenery on the water. On darted The Cham, 
plain ; the city was passed ; the Palisades came in 
sight, a range of rocks from twenty to five hundred 
feet in height, commencing between eight or ten 
miles from the city. On the opposite side were 



64 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

beautiful residences and picturesque openings. Thir- 
ty-three miles from New-York we saw the massy 
walls of the Sintr Sing Prison ; and as we bounded 
away like birds, joyous and free, I sighed that 
man should thus blast and forfeit his higher destiny 
by sin. 

But man was soon forgotten in delicious nature. 
The Highlands came in sight, with their blue crests, 
nearer and nearer, until I felt the majesty of their 
strength ; and then from admiration came a lofty 
repose, a trust that he who creates and rules nature 
will guard and love me ; and thus thinking, I was 
as calm as a part of that great and beautiful whole. 

Anthony's Nose appeared, heaving its great mass 
against the sky. I never can remember heights. 
The only idea I can give of its immense character 
is that a rose should be as big as a hogshead for An- 
thony's Nose to smell of, and a pinch of snufF pro- 
portioned to its capacity would set all New-York 
sneezing. 

Then followed the usual rush to see the upper An- 
thony's Nose, or rather face ; and all were crying, 
where ? where ? there ! there ! higher ! lower ! 
above ! below ! 

Some saw a mouth and some a nose, 
And some the outline of a chin.* 

I perceived nothing but a gray rock, with its green 

* Some saw a hand, and some an arm, 
And some the waving of a gown. 

Lay of the Last Minstrel. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 65 

drapery, but I saw better things in that majestic 
scene ; not a bare outline, but it was as if God's 
image were stamped on every lofty hill and vale, 
and I bowed before his presence. 

The boat stopped at Newburgh, and we crossed 
the ferry to Fishkill Landing. Was I indeed a 
stranger 7 I felt it not in the pressure of hospitable 
hands, nor in the dower given by all gracious nature 
to this magic spot in mountain and valley, river and 
sky. 

A wedding was on foot the next evening, and we 
went to it. On entering the carriage, we found that 
our Irish coachman had entered into the spirit of 
the occasion, and decorated the horses' heads and 
the windows of the carriage with white and red 
roses. But there was nothing rural in our wedding ; 
city luxuries were seen on every side, brilliant pyra- 
mids, iced fruits, and spiced cakes ; no rustic fiddler 
sat in the pride of ignorance, but a full band from 
New-York, with a harp accompaniment, set the slip- 
pered foot in motion in the airy waltz. 

My window is over a bank which commands the 
Hudson, and I am drinking in, with unsated gaze, 
the varied attractions of the landscape. Newburgh, 
a pretty village on the opposite shore, slopes down 
on a gentle declivity to the river ; cultivated hills 
are spread out beside it like a map ; and the 
spires of the churches look through the light lo- 
cust tree on the bank below me. White sails are 
flitting by on the calm stream, or the lordly steam- 
6* 



66 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

boat, panting and puffing, moves by with its 
worldly freight. At every other point of view 
are mountains. The sun is struggling through 
elouds, breaking the mist which has gathered on 
their sides, whose gray folds roll up in grotesque 
figures, with the wooded green beneath, and the blue 
sky above in glorious contrast. It is beautiful ; but 
even while I gaze, some scene on our Southern rivers 
rises to my view, with majestic forests clad in their 
mingled green and gray, the mocking-bird's song, 
the fragrant flower. 

THE FAIRY ISLE AND THE LADY ARCHERS. 
All is not sublime here ; soft, rural attractions are 
scattered in quiet nooks that need only to besought. 
The Matteawan Creek, running in from the river, 
goes bounding over rocks, and forms a series of fresh 
and sparkling waterfalls ; a little rivulet parts from 
it, and circling a grassy spot, meets the creek again, 
and leaves in the centre, between waterfalls and ri- 
vulets, an emerald bank. The Fairy Isle! Step 
with me over this plank. The rush of the mimic 
torrents is heard on one side, the gurgling stream 
on the other ; a rustic bridge peeps through the fo- 
liage, tall trees are over us, the soft grass below, and 
laughing girls, fresh and free, and springing as but- 
terflies, with natural flowers in their hair, are lead- 
ing the way. Now view the Fairy Isle in another 
aspect ; it is the practising ground of the Ladies' 
Archery Club ; but you may not stand here ; climb, 
if you can, one of these tall trees, for none but the 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION, 67 

favored few can tread this enchanted ground. They 
come in uniform, their snowy dresses girdled with 
green sashes, and their white gypsey bonnets tied 
with nature's appropriate color ; their white quivers 
too are slung with green ; a shield is on the left 
wrist, and a three-fingered glove on the right hand ; 
their bows, unwieldy to the unpractised arm, are 
gracefully poised as they move along. Exercise 
colors their cheeks and lights up their eyes ; they 
are nature's children ; they were brought up on her 
bosom ; their steps are elastic ; the colder form and 
motion of society are gone, the grace and softness 
remain. 

The following lines, just shown me by a friend, 
will aid much in illustrating this enchanting scene : 

THE FAERIES' SONG, 
Respectjully inscribed to the Archery Club, 

Haste ! come haste to the Faery Isle, 

Deep in the Highland shades, 
Whex-e, Matteawan's clear waters smile 

Around its verdant glades. 
Where, silvery-like, the gleaming spray 

Kisses the deep green shores, 
There sings its sad and lingering lay, 

And onward, dashing pours. 

Haste ! come haste to the Faery Isle, 

The wild-vines clamber high 
Over the tall old trees that pile 

Their foliage to the sky ; 



68 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

And soft and sweet the asphodel 

Comes breathing in the gale, 
Like balmy odors famed to dwell 

In Cashmere's fragrant vale. 

Haste, come haste to the Faery Isle, 

The golden sun sinks low, 
And cool and deep the shadows, while 

We draw the springing bow ! 
Then woe to him whose eyes shall see 

Us poise our swift-winged dart, 
For, quick as lightning's flash, shall flee 

That missile to his heart. 

The only two Archery Clubs existing this side of 
the Atlantic, are the United Bowmen of Philadelphia, 
and the Ladies' Club, called the Mohicans, (the old 
Indian name of the place,) at Fishkill. The last 
has been in operation a year. It would be well for 
our Southern ladies to get up a branch. The great- 
est difficulty is in procuring suitable bows. The 
best maker of this article is said to be an English- 
man at Philadelphia, where the whole apparatus can 
be procured. The open lawns on our Southern 
plantations would be delightful archery fields. If 
such exercises were more common, they would call a 
brighter glow into the cheeks of our fair maidens. 

THE DOMESTIC SaUIRREL. 
A friend here has narrated to me a singular cir- 
cumstance for naturalists. She perceived from day 
to day, as her drawing-room was opened, nut-shells, 
and other little matters, scattered about the room. 
The apartment was not in use, but after airing it a 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 69 

little while, the door was locked daily. A month 
passed away, and one day a member of the family 
saw in the same room a flying squirrel, which was 
caught, but permitted to go away again. Nothing 
more was thought about it until, on opening a draw- 
er in the same room some time after, a nest was 
found with young squirrels. They were of course 
great pets, but seemed to be cared for by some un- 
seen agent. At length, when the family went one 
morning to carry their food, they were gone. Their 
abandoned nest was made of shreds from the hearth- 
rug, paper from a pamphlet in the room, leaves and 
matter from the forest. It was thought that the vi- 
sitations of the squirrel were down the chimney, and 
that she had removed her offspring through the same 
avenue. On the following season, when the transac- 
tion was quite forgotten, the drawer being again 
opened, the old squirrel sprang out again. A.las ! a 
huge black cat, a family pet too, saw the movement, 
leaped forward, and the pretty little visitor was de- 
capitated. 

I have not seen the moon, which has been obscured 
through its present stage since its young crescent 
rose over Gowhannus Bay at Long Island, until last 
evening. It came over the mountains with an exag- 
gerated glory and size, treading their heights as if 
they were made for her queenly steps. In vain were 
gathered shadows, and dark recesses arrayed against 
her ; her full and glittering splendor fell like a flood 
upon them, and mountain and valley, river and vil- 
lage, were kindled into a mimic day. A sudden de- 



70 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

termination was made for a boating party ; shawls 
were wrapt about us, and we hastened to a private 
landing. It is not worth while to tell of shoes fast- 
ened in the mud, nor of romantic girls sliding against 
their will down the slippery banks, nor of the fears 
and tremors in leaping from a ledge of rock to the 
boat. We were at last seated, the sound of the oars 
being broken only by laughter or the soft-voiced 
daughter of song. But I, the only one upon whom 
the hand of time had been laid, felt the seriousness 
of the scene, and though I would not for worlds have 
checked the innocent mirth around me, I could not, 
without tearful eyes, gaze on the sacred loveliness of 
that hour. I looked to the great and beautiful orb 
above me for companionship, and my thoughts wan- 
dered afar. 

DENNING'S POINT, FISHKILL. 

Probably one of the most exquisite combinations 
of natural beauty is here, and it is heightened by the 
hand of taste. Gardens in luxurious bloom — choice 
hot-house plants — a lawn of velvet softness on one 
side the river, on the other, mountains so near as to 
look down upon the very roses of the garden — and 
then, the elegant arrangement within — books, music, 
and the mind's lighter recreations. 

Can I leave all this, and give one word to the 
Pilatteawan Cotton Factory, that restless, jarring 
world, where man " the clothes screen," is in his 
element ? 

Every thing is neat in the building, and the vil- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 71 

lage looks cheerful. At the wedding, which I attend- 
ed, the Factory children and men crowded to the door, 
where they had a glimpse of the fine people within. 
I went to look at them ; there was a perfect sea of 
faces, though the rain was pouring. How much did 
they enjoy our ice-creams ? 

WEST-POINT. 

Had not my admiration been so long strained 
by sights of beauty, I should have more words for 
this enrapturing scene. I have drawn my writing- 
table to the middle window at the back of the hotel, 
the point of view that so many artists have attempt- 
ed (but oh, how feebly) with their best powers. The 
sun has just rolled behind the mountains, and as I 
glance from my paper, every moment reveals new 
shades and colours in the sky and river. 

There was on board the boat as we came here this 
morning, a blind German harper, and a young girl 
who sings. They are supported by transient listen- 
ers, and have an air of decency, as if they gained 
at least enough for externals in this precarious way. 
As no one seemed disposed to ask them to sing, I 
slipped my douceur into the girl's hand. She under- 
stood it, and they began such sweet melody, that I felt 
half ashamed that such a trifle should be repaid by so 
much happiness as they gave me. Only think of 
the luxury of gliding on the Hudson to the sound of 
the harp ! I, who love to give up to fancies when 
they will come, thought the hills moved more quickly 
to the Orpheus notes. It was better to look at them. 



72 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

by the way, than at the blind man's face ; his gri- 
maces were horrible. 

We reached West-Point about two o'clock, and 
mounted the steep and romantic ascent to the hotel. 
Art has had but little to do here ; the eye is at once ar- 
rested by nature, and as there is nothing in bad taste, 
the simplicity in what man has done is attractive. 
The piazzas are commodious, the garden pretty, the 
walks neat, and the visitor at West-Point asks for 
nothing more. But the fare at the hotel is not so 
simple a thing : art there is busy enough, and the 
sentimentalist is not called, as at some of the Springs, 
to live on the elements of water and air. The at- 
tendance is excellent, and so far as the wants of the 
lower animal are affected, people are made good- 
natured, and proceed in good spirits to the enjoy- 
ments of the higher nature. After tasting many, to 
us, nameless dishes, we sallied forth to Kosciusko's 
Garden. The word garden seems to be a misnomer, 
except the beetling cliff and rugged mountain be a 
warrior's garden. It it a spot of wild and romantic 
interest, and thrills the heart in itself and in its as- 
sociations. The monument is chaste, and is digni- 
fied witlx the name of the hero alone. 

The cadets are in camp, which gives life and re- 
ality to the parade ground. We were invited to re- 
pose in a tent, and examined its furniture and ar- 
rangements. Like other picturesque objects, it looks 
best at a distance ; the effect of the whole encamp- 
ment, however, is delightful. It occupies a large 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 73 

space visible from the hotel. I did not expect to see 
ladies invited to go so freely among the tents. 

The evening parade is animating, and the music 
so inexpressibly fine, one would be willing to be led 
by it to " victory or death ;" now soft and clear as 
the note of a bird, then swelling out in perfect gushes 
of harmony — all is in good keeping ; the wide car- 
pet of grass mellowed by the setting sun, the pure 
white of the tents in contrast — -the erect forms of 
the cadets moving in measured time — the encircling 
mountains rising like a heaven-formed battery, and 
the evening gun, with echo upon echo pouring forth 
the mimic volley, till it dies away, and the military 
band bursts out richly on the closing peal ! 

Darkness came, but, led by the novelty of the scene, 
we again sought the parade ground ; and here was a 
change. The restraints of the day were over, and 
the scene became animated by festivity. Three 
times a week the band perform, but this was not one 
of the evenings, and as a substitute, the cadets got 
up their own music themselves. I think it consisted 
of a violin, tambourine, and drum. I do not know 
how much they will feel flattered when I say t fancied 
myself at home among our negro fiddlers ; at any 
rate there was music enough to put them in motion. 
Presently were seen several of them running with 
short pieces of lighted candles, which they stuck in 
the grass in a row. One can imagine the effect of 
this at night. The ladies' benches were placed on 
one side of the lights for them, as spectators, while the 
young men danced on the other. I confess I per- 



74 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

fectly sympathized with Black Hawk, who gave one 
of his satisfied grunts at this scene when he was here. 
The most perfect propriety was mingled with theii 
hilarity. Yet the waltzing of these upright figures 
together was odd enough. The contrast between 
the free, graceful, and ludicrous motions of the dan- 
cers, with their stiff, measured, statue-like air on re- 
view, was laughable ; but the tatoo was beat at the 
early hour of nine ; ladies and cadets retired, and 
now all is as still as death on that late busy spot. 
The moon has risen on her gorgeous path among the 
mountains, and the sentinels only mark her lonely 
beauty ; for no voice is allowed here after this 
hour. 

The sumptuous breakfast over, we were escorted 
to the parade ground to see the guard relieved, and 
again that most thrilling music bewitched us with its 
melody. 

One of the cadets pointed out to me the spot 
where, on a Sabbath morning, an eagle had hovered 
awhile and then soared away. The circumstance 
awoke within me the following associations : 

THE WEST-POINT EAGLE. 
'Tis Sabbath morning; o'er the tented field, 
Wild mountain, rock, and g^rove, the silence broods 
Which nature loves. On the far-spreading green, 
The tread of martial feet is hushed, or light ; 
A serious grace chastens the soldier's eye. 
The clustered tents stand in still sunshine, white 
To the lone hill-top gazer, as the flocks 
That wait the shepherd's call. The Hudson sleeps ; 
The sloop's trim sail flaps on her breezeless way, 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 75 

And gentle ripples swell and die unheard. 
In rugged quietness old Putnam's wall 
Ascends; the Crow's Nest pillows the high clouds. 
Ranges of nearer hills heave up to heaven 
More fixed and clear, while to their wooded sides 
Green shrubs reposing cling. A glittering light 
Crowns Kosciusko's column, like his fame. 
And listen, on the rocks below soft fall 
Still waters, like the ceaseless beat the heart 
Gives to its country's champions. 

But behold. 
From yonder height an eagle presses on ! 
Hither he bends, with pinions spread, and cuts 
The azure sky ; and now above the plain 
He wheels, and now the rushing of his wing 
Is heard careering o'er the silent tents. 
Like a keen sentinel his quick eye darts 
A glance around, tlien with majestic sweep 
He cleaves the air, and o'er the mountain's crest 
Fades his dark form. 

Why com'st thou, noble bird 1 
To note if all is well with those who hail 
Thee as their emblem 1 

Loyal youths 7 behold ! 
Look ye to this ; slight not the sacred sign ; 
But when the eagle of your country comes, 
Flapping his bold wing on your listening ear, 
Still may he find you thus, as on this morn ; 
A sabbath calmness resting on your souls, 
And strength, unboasting, in each God-nerved arm. 

The next thing was to visit Fort Putnam. Our 
Southern party looked up with a kind of alarm at its 
distant walls, but after all only rested twice on the 
way. It is a noble, exquisite scene ; but I could not 
sympathize with Fanny Kemble's tears on the same 



76 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

spot ; to me there was rather a soothing association 
in those far-spread hills, like a modulated harmony. 
I forget the particulars of her description, but 1 think 
it was there she wept simply at nature ; but who 
shall compare their feelings a moment with her rapid 
and ever-varying impulses ? One might as well as- 
similate the smoke of a hamlet with the changing 
vapors on these glorious mountains. We returned 
to the hotel, where some sweet private music soothed 
our fatigue. 

Among other things, the courteous and graceful 
manners of the cadets should not be forgotten. In 
almost all other large associations of young men, 
this charm is lost, but the discipline of West Point 
recognizes the gentleman in the soldier. 

I found some of the novices, p?ehs they are called, 
home-sick, and weary with their discipline. ' I saw 
several poor fellows under arrest, some of them for 
offences of ignorance only. Of course this is all 
right. But what a change to a young Southerner, 
for instance, who has been on horseback, the freest 
position in the world, scouring the wide fields from 
boyhood, to this limited scene and strict discipline! 
Not a word above a whisper spoken after nine o'clock, 
nor a step taken beyond a certain point without a 
written permission, and the soft bed exchanged for 
boards. If this is right, ought not our domestic dis- 
cipline to conform to it ? Is not the change too ab- 
rupt ? To think how old the world is, and yet we 
cannot say to any given form of early education, this 
is right— this will best fit us for life and for eternity ! 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 77 

FisHKiLL. — Evening. 
The Albany, in which we returned, is the most beau- 
tiful boat I have seen. In place of the pannels be- 
tween the windows in the dining cabin are pictures — 
striking and interesting views of natural scenery and 
groups. I could not examine them, for the warning 
bell for Newburgh soon sounded ; we landed, and the 
noble boat, crowded with passengers, passed on. To- 
morrow we are to ascend the mountain called the 
North Beacon, which has a carriage-road to within 
half a mile of its summit. Fort Putnam is but a 
baby to this giant. 

Troy. 

Our excursion to the mountains at Fishkill was 
defeated by the morning mists, but we were recom- 
pensed by a gorgeous storm, the first I had seen in 
the highlands. I watched it as it came on. New- 
burgh lay in sight, with its white houses and spires 
glittering like a gem set in the green hills. The 
gust moved with the tread of a giant ; step by step it 
trod over the mountains, village, and river, conquering 
and to conquer, until a long dark range was formed 
in the heavens of black cloud against a sky of blue ; 
it stood before us awhile in mighty stillness, then 
came a rush of wind, the rain fell, and the green 
leaves flew like autumn foliage. 

The rain, I confess, was not the sheeted mass of a 
Carolina shower ; for a true specimen of an outpour- 
ing of the elements, give me a Southern thunder gust. 
Simms has described one well in the Partisan. Other 



78 NOTES OF A NORTHER?^ EXCURSION. 

rain in comparison, (as I heard a Western Senator 
say of a Nevv-England stream in contrast to the Mis- 
sissippi, with the fingers of his left hand bent up, and 
the pahn hollowed as if it might hold it,) is " a cup 
full." "Sir, the gentleman's river is but a tea-cup 
full !" 

The patriotism of gunpowder was astir at twelve 
o'clock on the 4th, and sleep was driven from the 
usually quiet pillows at Fishkill. Our ladies could 
only testify their national ardor by wreathing an ad- 
ditional flower in their hair through the day, and the 
gentlemen by a little extra idleness ; but at night not 
all New-York, with its crowd and gardens, present- 
ed a more animated spectacle than we with our six 
rockets and countless bundles of crackers. Here 
were the unstudied, unchecked shouts and laughter 
of woodland excitement ; the shriek of the young 
girl, as the report was roguishly sounded in her ear 
— the playful retort — the first attempt to conquer 
fear — -the sudden relinquishment at the whizz of the 
cracker — the rush as our few treasured rockets shot 
up triumphantly — merry hearts gathering around the 
fruit repast, and light feet treading the sudden dance. 
Desecrated day ! would that it could close on all as 
innocently ! 

We left beautiful Fishkill on the 5th, in the 
steam-boat Albany, for Troy. A passenger, who 
proved a friend, favoured me with the first volume 
of Dewey's Journal, " The Old World and the New,'* 
and the day flew by swiftly, in alternately dwelling 
on its pages and the scenery before mc. I recog« 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 79 

nized in the work the same ardent love and hope 
for the human race which characterize his sermon 
on the Moral Influence of Cities, which I was for- 
tunate enough to hear deUvered in New-York, 
Though gratified by the sketches in the first volume, 
I felt the deficiency to which the most delicate and 
conscientious travellers are obnoxious. The more 
refined the individual, the less will he unveil that 
delicious gossip which reveals public and private 
character ; he is obliged to generalize, and thus is 
lost the colouring which makes the letters of the 
heart so interesting. Mr. Dewey has deliberately 
avoided the temptation, and the chief attraction of 
his book, now that every one knows Europe like 
Broadway, is in his own philosophical views. I 
was called from his important discussion on the 
state of religion in this country, to look at the town 
of Hudson. I have not seen, on the whole, a more 
beautifully situated spot. It commands the Cats- 
kill mountains, and the river in front ; a graceful 
wooded hill on one side, and a promenade of great 
local beauty on the other. The only interest I had 
in the place was the recollection of the journal call- 
ed the Rural Repository, a successful periodical, 
which has often met my eye, neat in its appearance 
and judicious in its selections. Soon after passing 
Hudson we met a gaily decorated steamer, a relic 
of the fourth, with streamers flying and music play- 
ing ; they gave us a salute on one side, while a 
troop of boys swimming popped their heads out of 
the water, and hurraed on the other. 



80 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

We arrived at the Troy House, wearied enough, 
at the close of this burning day. Our supper was 
in an immense hall, just vacated by the military, 

" Where Trojans, Dardans, and auxiliar bands 
Still take refreshment as the hour demands.", 

We were not in the best humour for the fumes 
that assailed us, after being spoiled, as we had been, 
by private hospitality ever since our departure 
from home. Oh, the crowded loneliness of those 
forties, " feeding like one," at the immense tables ! 

I retired to a close and unhome-like bed-room, and 
wrote the 

SONG OF THE WANDERER. 

There are sweet plants springing around my house, 

But /cannot cull their flowers! 
There are green walks asking the feet to roam, 

Where the sun has kissed off the showers ! 

The wild birds are singing familiar lays, 

Bat /cannot hear their trilling ; 
The water-fall still on the river plays, 

But it wakes not my bosom's thrilling. 

The moonlight sleeps upon rocking leaves, 

But I cannot watch their motion ! 
The night air freshly the light cloud weaves. 

But I am far over the ocean ! 

Sunny smiles rest on the lips of friends. 

But I am not there to greet them ; 
And many a hawd in welcome extends, 

But my hand is not there to meet them ! 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 81 

Yet in Him who rules over that fairy home, 

My lone heart is still confiding, 
Since wherever on earth my footsteps roam, 

I feel the Eternal presiding. 

But I was not long left to make home-sick rhymes. 
Open-eyed and ready-handed hospitality awaited 
us there, as elsewhere, ready to strew our path with 
flowers, and among the first pleasures was a visit 
to the Cohoes Falls. The romantic interest of the 
access is somewhat diminished by the utilitarians 
who have gathered about it ; but when standing in 
front of the cataract, nothing is visible but the 
wildness of nature, harmonizing well with its cease- 
less voice and ceaseless flow ; and, though not ab- 
solutely a spectacle of grandeur, yet the thought of 
Deity, which a waterfall almost necessarily awakens 
in a reflecting mind, comes over one in solemn reverie. 

I have never seen canal navigation before, and 
here the very majesty of canal-ism dwells, wielding 
his lazy sceptre over the Erie and Champlain chan- 
nels. There is a remarkable variety of objects 
along this little region. The cars whirl by on the 
Troy and Ballston rail-road, mocking the slow 
caiTal boats, that peep up from the banks like tor- 
toises ; while small boats — for no craft of importance 
can navigate here — glide over the diminished Hud- 
son, seen among the emerald islands that diversify 
its tranquil stream. 

Nothing could exceed the beauty of our drive from 
the Falls. A sudden shower had dressed nature in 
a fresher robe of green and diamonds ; a sunset 



82 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

rainbow formed a glorious arch over the villages of 
Lansingburgh and Waterford, relieved by the sweep 
of hills beyond ; while the sun gave a yellow tinge to 
the fields, sparkled on the river, and even lit up the 
canal with its parting glory. 

I visited with great pleasure the Troy Female 
Seminary, and was indebted to Mrs. Willard's po- 
liteness for an opportunity of seeing all the young 
ladies assembled, amounting to upwards of two hun- 
dred, in one apartment, which only occurs once a 
week for the purpose of reading the compositions. 
Mrs. Willard's plan to improve the style and judg- 
ment of her pupils is, that they should read a selec- 
tion from some approved author alternately with the 
original pieces. I was more gratified by this exhi- 
bition than I should have been with one of mere 
memory. Where I find a school ofanimated, under- 
standing readers, I should be willing to trust the in- 
tellect of a child. The young ladies here, in empha- 
sis and deliberation, gave a valuable testimony to 
the judgment of their superintendent. The general 
air of the scholars was graceful ; and the teachers, 
whom I saw more flimiliarly, possessed that refine- 
ment of manner so important in feminine culture. 
The harp, piano, and vocal performances, were in 
good taste. 

Accordi ng to my usual plan of following ap the 
associations of a place, I looked into Mrs. Willard's 
journal in Europe. Her design in travelling, was 
to inspect, as far as possible, European systems of 
education, and the proceeds of her book were given 



NOTES OF A KOKTHERN EXCURSION. 83 

to the object of female instruction among the Greeks ; 
two things so highly creditable, as to need no com- 
mentary beyond the mention of the facts. The zeal 
and cheerfulness of this lady make her a beautiful 
model, as a teacher of youth, an office too often de- 
graded by its being thought mere labor. It grieves 
me to see people embark in this great object like con- 
victs, when the free spirit of hope and love ought to 
guide them. 

I was happy to observe ladies over twenty years 
of age being educated for teachers. I have some- 
times thought no one should be authorized to in- 
struct, who could not produce a certificate from some 
authorized body on the Prussian system. Error is 
deplorably perpetuated in this country by the igno- 
rance of teachers. 

We shall have no thoroughly instructed women 
while schools are so fluctuating ; the progress of a 
girFs education in most of our cities, is like the frog's 
in the well. We should have national establish- 
ments. How is the system of the Troy Female 
Seminary to be perpetuated when the intelligent 
head that now presides there is withdrawn ? What 
security is there for its perpetuity ? 

We rode to Albany over the macadamised road, 
which is said to be the best in the country, and is 
delightfully free from the Washington annoyance of 
dust. This city, in its exterior, which was all we 
saw, is a heterogeneous mixture of elegance and 
awkwardness ; the old Dutch slantinor roofs mingle 
oddly enough with the tinned domes and towers of 



84 NOTES OF^ A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

more modern structure. We tried in vain, in adili. 
gent drive through the streets, to find a music store, 
though doubtless they are there. 

Saratoga. 

We left Troy at 10 o'clock in the commodious 
cars for this place. What a contrast are these airy 
and convenient conveyances to the Camden and 
Amboy rail-road cars ! The rush of porters on our 
arrival, exceeded any thing I have met with else- 
where ; the shouts were perfectly bewildering, as 
they recommended the different hotels to which they 
were attached. The U. S. hotel, in which we are 
located, is at present the most crowded, and perhaps 
fashionable ; though I understand some of the others 
have better sleeping rooms and better fare. It is in 
vain to write here ; there is something in the tone of 
things that prevents all fixedness of attention. It 
is enough to look at people dressed up for show.; — 
There is a lovely demi-French family of celebrity, 
with five attendants and their foreign friends, — a 
Northern Senator, " the observed of all observers," 
about whom fhe Bostonians cluster ; there is a Caro- 
lina party, &;c., &;c. A foreigner sits in front of 
me, who appears to associate with respectable peo- 
ple, wearing a dark check shirt, without a vest, and 
whose mustachioes surpass by many degrees the most 
extravagant American standard. Near me is an 
American lady, with gold cable watch-chain and 
ear-rings, and silver comb and buckle ; but, gene- 
rally speaking, there is an air of propriety throughout 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 85 

this large concourse, the manners of the ladies are 
discreet, their dresses modest, and the men are unas- 
suming. 

A paper was circulated yesterday, at dinner, pro- 
posing a " hop" in the evening ; signatures appeared 
to be easily gained, and at eight o'clock our fine hall 
was lit up brilliantly, and a full band began the pre- 
liminary notes. The affair went off languidly, no 
one group was large enough to form sets, and none 
amalgamated. The demi-French and foreigners only 
danced, and they made but one cotillion. It was 
very warm, to be sure, but that had not prevented the 
joyous unceremonious couples at Fishkill from " tir- 
ing each other down," as gaily as if it had been Christ- 
mas eve. Notwithstanding the lively exterior of 
things at Saratoga, there are more forlorn looking 
people than I ever met with, if you watch faces ; 
and there is nothing in the whole compass of yawns 
like a Saratoga yawn, if you hear one when a gaper 
is off his guard. The whole man is stretched, 
inwardly and outwardly. Let no one who values 
a small mouth risk a gape at the Springs. Still, it 
is a glorious place, and in fifty years, palaces, and 
fountains, and gardens will burst forth on its now 
rude location, and rival in beauty the healing power 
with which God has blessed it so richly. The site 
of the Congress springs, naturally beautiful, is be- 
ginning now to assume an air of improvement. It is 
capable of tasteful ornament. A circular pleasure 
rail-road surrounds a grove on the hill, with a car, 
8 



86 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

where two persons can sit together, and propel them- 
selves. 

We strayed out yesterday to the nearest church. 
The Sabbath is very dear to me amid the throng of 
strangers, and I would not miss its privileges. The 
church, neat externally, proved to be of the Baptist 
denomination, and was attended by the more labo- 
rious classes. A stranger preached with animation 
and earnestness ; but as I glanced my eye round, I 
found two thirds of the men and several women 
asleep ; they were probably rendered drowsy by 
their miaccustomed quiet attitude, ^eing wide 
awake, and most of our party, from principle and 
feeling, having the habit of attention at church, the 
pastor's attention was attracted to us, and he lite- 
rally fixed his eyes upon our group until some of us 
were embarrassed. The style of music and the 
bass-viol reminded me of my early years, and the 
sounding of the key-note awoke a long strain of the 
melody of memory. 

We left the drawing-room of the hotel as crowded 
after dinner as if there were no bell summoning us 
to the house of prayer, and went to the Presbyterian 
church. A South Carolinian preached on the ad- 
mirable theme, a well-balanced Christian character. 
In the course of his discourse, he said there was no 
such thing as a particular Church of Christ on 
earth. The Church of Christ was composed of in- 
dividuals of every denomination, who obeyed his 
precepts. Neither of the gentlemen alluded to the 
character of the place. They had probably good 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 87 

reasons to decline appropriating the healing power 
of the Springs to the illustration of religious truth. 

We visited, this evening, Saratoga Lake. It is 
a placid spot, about five miles from the Springs. 
A boat lies temptingly ready for ladies of the lake 
and their Douglasses. Our party entered one, 
and rowed across to a floating fishing.house, where, 
unexpectedly to ourselves, we became engaged, 
and successfully, as a " piscatorial party." The 
first fish one of us caught was of that species which 
Cuvier has named after Dr. Holbrook of our city. 
I forget what the name is. What can be said in a 
journal when one's carriages roll along over good 
roads, when boats are safe, and waters clear, and 
skies blue, and fish willing to come to the hook, and 
company good-humoured? Absolutely nothing. 
One can only fold arms quietly, be grateful, and 
fall asleep, or make verses like these : 

SARATOGA LAKE. 

O'er Saratoga's bright lake we row, 
Bathed in the light of the sunset glow; 
We dip our oars in the placid wave, 
Our hands in the rippling current lave. 

There's scarce a cloud in the summer blue 
Save one lit up with a ro.iy hue, 
Like the smile that flits o'er a tranquil face 
Lending its softness a richer grace. 

The shore is near with its girdle green ; 
The dim-eyed mountains look far between ; 



89 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

The twittei-ing bird is heard on the bough, 
And tlie shining fish are chased by our prow. 

Light jests fall sportive from hearts at ease, 
As buds that burst in the spring's warm breeze, 
And our laugh o'er the silent water swells, 
Like fountain music in echoing dells. 

No traitoi-- tears for the absent rise. 

Though deep in our hearts their image lies, 

But a light from the thought of their love upsprings. 

Like that which is ushered by angel wings. 

Oh ! Saratoga's fair lake, adieu, 
"With thy placid waves and thy sky of blue ! 
Soft thoughts arise with thy evening ray, 
They are thoughts of our home — away ! away ! 

Utica. (N. Y.) 
We left the Springs, saddened by the thoughts of 
parting with companions who had lent a charm to 
our visit there. I closed my eyes in the car for a 
while, and the images of the past week flitted by. 
There was the graceful foreign party, who had excit- 
ed passing wonder ; their fair girls and boys floating 
in the waltz, or the elder members attracting admi- 
ration by Italian or French music, and their very 
motions watched as they promenaded the spacious 
piazza ; there were various other groups ; but amid 

many pictures, the Senator from was the 

leading object, moving among the motley crowd 
among them, but not (apparently) of them. A 
lady remarked to me, that when she looked on 
his forehead, it reminded her of Niagara ; and there 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 89 

is really the difference between his head and those 
of common men, that exists between the giant of 
the waters and minor cascades. This individual 
is remarkable for looking neither to the right 
nor left ; a slight acquaintance must meet him right 
ahead to stand a chance of recognition ; and not 
lay it to the account of pride, because, when per- 
ceived, he will receive a gentle and courteous ad. 
dress. This habit, however, contrasted the indivi- 
dual singularly with others at the Springs, whose 
heads appeared to turn on pivots in their zeal to re- 
cognize and be recognized. 

Our car illustrated the American cacoethes for 
travelling. There was a lady accompanying two lads, 
her sons, in their vacation, and a young man from 
a straw-bonnet establishment in the Eastern States, 
and our own party, all rushing to the Falls as a 
matter of taste ! 

We saw nothing of Schenectady, passing directly 
into a canal-boat, which, being a novelty, we wished 
to test. Upwards of forty persons were crowded 
into this small space, there being no restriction as in 
stages. Why not? Why should these boats be 
crowded indiscriminately ? Fortunately for us the 
company were respectable. Groups were soon form- 
ed, and various occupations commenced. A very 
young lady near me produced a perfectly new blank 
book, a travelling inkstand, the brass of which was 
beautifully bright, and a nice steel pen. Her first 
inquiry of her father was, at what hour they started 
from home, and the precise moment when they enter- 
8* 



90 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed the boat. A disagreement of some minutes in 
their calculations, put her to a dead stand, and she 
sat biting the handle of her pen. As I glanced at 
her, from time to time, for the next two hours, she 
was hammering away at her brain. At length I de- 
tected sundry discolorations on her pure manuscript, 
to the amount of half a page. 

It was impossible to go in the sun on deck, and 
the air was suffocating below. I was giving myself up 
patiently to suffering with the traveller's lonely feel- 
ing, which is sometimes so strong, if bodily exercise 
is suspended, when a gentleman in one of the parties 
commenced reading The Deformed in The Old Men's 
Tales^ aloud. I soon became interested in the story, 
which was new to me ; beguiled by the charm of the 
narrative and his spirited manner, I listened until 
tears were making their way to my eyes ; one must 
not weep before strangers, so I withdrew to a little dis- 
tance, where I could see the group without hearing 
the voice of the reader. The ladies struggled bravely 
with the pathos of the story, much more so than I 
could have done : but I saw their eye-lids partially 
close, their mouths work with a slight muscular con- 
traction, and their fingers busy with a glove or 
handkerchief. I heard the attempted jest to depre- 
cate the charge of tears, and the scene was fairly 
winding up, when we were summoned to dine. 

Every thing connected with this mode of convey, 
ance had been disagreeable, but the long day at 
last rolled by, and we went on deck to see the set- 
ting sun. When it is possible to be on deck, canal 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 91 

navigation is pleasant enough. I do not at all ob- 
ject to the bobbing one's head down at the bridges — 
it is somewhat exciting, and I dare say gave the 
young steel-pen journalist an idea. When we are 
all prostrated, I always peep about to see how comi- 
cally every body looks, and get up convulsed with 
laughter. The constant passing and overtaking 
other boats is agreeable ; the scenery is sometimes 
beautiful, as on this evening, between Schenectady 
and Utica ; passing the locks, too, has its attraction 
from the bustle, and the thought of man's power over 
the elements ; but I felt deep loneliness and dejection 
on this route. My heart was saddened with a stran- 
ger's sadness ; the sunset on the mountains seemed 
dim, and colored not up my fancy as it was wont, 
like the twilight clouds. I felt as if even health 
could not compensate for the severing of domestic 
ties, and longed to press the young forms to my 
heart that had lain there from infancy. The sun 
sank behind the hills — a gloom, corresponding to my 
feelings, spread over creation, the fire-flies came out 
like thoughtless companions, as if they could cheer 
the darkness with their flitting ray, and a few stars 
took their station between the clouds. At this pe- 
riod a song was heard from the centre of the deck 
— two exquisite female voices, accompanied by one 
of manly richness. The air was plaintive, and the 
notes scientifically modulated. I was refreshed and 
soothed, and gave this tribute to the scene : 



93 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 



MUSIC ON THE CANAL. 



1 was weary with the day-light, 

I was weary with the shade, 
And my heart became still sadder, 

As the stars their light betrayed; 
I sickened at the ripple, 

As the lazy boat went on, 
And felt as though a friend was lost 

Whea the twilight ray was gone. 

The meadows in a fire-fly glow,- 

Looked gay to happy eyes ; 
To me they beamed but mournfully, 

My heart was cold with sighs. 
They seemed, indeed, like summer friends : 

Alas, no warmth had they ! 
I turned in sorrow from their glare, 

Impatiently away. 

And tear drops gathered in my eyes, 

And rolled upon my cheek. 
And when the voice of mirth was heard, 

I had no heart to speak. 
I longed to press my children 

To my sad and homesick breast, 
And feel the constant hand of love 

Caressing and carest. 

And slowly went my languid pulse 

As the slow canal boat goes ; 
And I felt the pain of weariness, 

And sighed for home's repose ; 
And laughter seemed a mockery, 

And joy a fleeting breath, 
And life a dark volcanic crust 

That crumbles over death. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 93 

But a strain of sweetest melody 

Arose upon my ear, 
The blessed sound of woman's voice, 

That Angels love to hear ! 
And manly tones of tenderness 

Were mingled with the song, 
A father's with his daughter's notes, — 

The gentle with the strong. 

And my thoughts began to soften, 

Like snows when waters fall, 
And open, as the frost-closed buds 

When spring's young bi'eezes call; 
While to my faint and weary soul 

A better hope was given. 
And all once more was bright with faith, 

'Twixt heart, and earth, and heaven. 

We sat on deck until ten o'clock, and then what 
a change to our cabin, three tiers deep, with berths 
each side ! But the difficulty of moving an elbow 
was mitigated by the perfect good humor of the com- 
pany — complaint was a mere outbreak of witty re- 
monstrance. The same good-natured feeling go- 
verned us as I had perceived in a man who was 
alighting from a crowded coach in the morning, when 
he said: "We are so mixed up, I can't pick myself 
out." Are the scenes I have witnessed really among 
the same population which English travellers have de- 
scribed ? Am I dreaming, when I find only courtesy 
among the cultivated and quietness among other 
classes ? I confess, however, to the tobacco. 'lorrors 
on board the North River steam-boats. Why can- 
not this be remedied as well as smoking, by cards ? 



94 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Let the warning label appear in boats, hotels, dec. 
— No spiU'mg allowed here. This would open many 
an unconscious eye, or shut many an unconscious 
mouth ; for 1 believe the spitters are as unconscious 
in their offences as Carlyle's virtuous people are in 
their goodness. 

We arrived at Utica in tims to take a coach for 
the day to Trenton Falls. The drive of two hours 
and a half was rough, and there is only one very 
picturesque view on the way. It is an eminence 
from which Utica appears to very great advantage, 
as it lies peacefully on the Mohawk ; the bustle of 
the canals, and rail-roads, and turnpikes, which are 
rendering it so important an inland city, unheard. 

I had seen pictures of Trenton Falls. Pictures ? 
Mockeries ! The very best of them no more tell 
their character, than a drop of water describes an 
ocean. Here is not one fall alone, but a succession, 
that takes the eye with delicious surprise. Just as 
the heart has ceased to beat with the grandeur of 
one view, a ^ew steps show another, almost more 
beautiful. It seemed to me that nature had prepar- 
ed a great dioramic display for man. I fancied 
that unseen spirits occupied those cliffs, towering 
above, as spectators of the gorgeous scene ; and there 
is one spot where the prince of the falls mast revel. 
Those who have visited the place, will remember how 
they looked up with awe to that rocky, overhanging 
throne. And do they remember a seat jutting out be- 
tween two cascades, and will they not believe with 
me,that some beautiful form sits there, invisible, twin- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 95 

ing her hair, which falls in the surf, with her own 
arbor vitae leaves, and gracing her fair cold brow with 
crystals from her own rocks, while she glances up- 
ward to the monarch on the cliff, who now hurls 
down the severed mass, or bathes in the misty show- 
ers that rise from its palace of waters ? 

The sympathy to which I have long been accus- 
toraed in joy and sorrow, was not near me at Tren- 
ton Falls, and I wa^ comparatively lonely ; for youth 
seldom fully sympathises with the deeper feelings of 
maturer years ; perhaps this added to a wild delight, 
entirely new to me. As my companions advanced, 
1 was left once or twice alone. I cried out to the 
rocks and waters with a fierce pleasure. One might 
cry forever there unheard, and one might fall, as 
did the betrothed girl a few years since, with her 
lover at her side, in the whirling abyss, and be seen 
no more, except b)'' a floating garment, shivering and 
struggling in the whirlpool. We passed this spot 
safely ; yet one always shudders there, and a deeper 
horror looks down from.the cliff, and upward from the 
stream : 

TRENTON FALLS, NEW-YORK. 

My God, 
I thank thee for this wondrous birth of joy, 
Unfelt and unimagined till this hour ! 

Was't not enough that thou didst tinge the rose 
With delicate glow, —throw silvery whiteness o'er 
The lily's cup, — touch the bright sea-shell, like 
A spirit's blush, and weave a whisper through 
Its spiral folds, like murmuring love-notes, soft — 



96 ^-OTES OF A NORTHERN EXCIRSION. 

Aich tlie rich xwinbow into mingled hues, 
More beautiful by contrast with heaven's blue, 
O'er western skies ilu-o\v tints of gracious light, 
Smooth down the river with a mirror's tiuth, 
And wrap around the fresh and teeming earch 
Its lovely drapery of chasieneil green ? 
"NVas't not enough for me, that fi-om my youth 
Mine eyes have bathed in beauty, banquetted 
On lovely sights, and listened to sweet sounds 1 

Grateful was I for tliis; but now I feel 
The beauty of the awful and sublime. 
My soul leaps upward to these towering cUtls, 
And onwani with the stream ! 

Father ! and God I 
Enlarge my spirit for this mighty giti ! 
When I consorted with the buds and tlowers. 
Heard the full choir of woodland melody, 
Gazed up in reverie on placid skies, 
Or wandered by the pure, meandering stream, 
Or prayed beneath the bright-eyed lights of heaven, 
Looking serene from out their azure home. 
Or blest the moonlight, as it burst in joy. 
Like youthful thoughts, enkindling hill and dale ; 
I felt as if a mothers gentle voice. 
Called on hor child to acts of grateful love. 
But now that I have conmiuned with the r<?^7 — 
Seen the veil rent from Nature's stormy shrine. 
Heard her wild lessons of magnificence 
In cataract voices, 'mid the echoing rocks, 
I feel a louihr call upon my soul — 
A trumpet-sound ; — and as a soldier gii^ds 
Himself for war, so will I gird my thoughts 
For conquest o'er the world ! 

The nioinory of Trenton Falls was still vivid, wlien 
1 learned that Colonel Tiiorne's little dauijlitor iiad 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 97 

perished there immediately after my return from it. 
I had but recently seen this lovely child at the Springs, 
in all the graceful gaiety of youth. Oh, how well 
could I tancy the horror of her closing hour from my 
own impressions of the scene ; the shrieks waking the 
echoes from that group, bound by ties of love and 
kindred; the whirlpool before them, — slippery rocks 
beneath, — and clitfs piled on clifls above ! I could see 
that wailing procession return, lingering, yet des- 
pairing, for one was not. 

THOUGHTS ON ZERLINA THORNE, 

Drowned at Trenton JTalls. 
And art thou f^one, fair, graceful child ! 
I dreamed not, mid this cataract wild 

Thy form would lie, 
When, like a bright and budding flower, 
1 met thee in a summer bower. 

Life in thine eye ! 

I saw thee in the airy dance. 
With floating step, with kindling glance, 

With happy brow ; 
A brother's arm around thee clung, 
A parent's smile upon thee hung, 

Where art thou now ? 
Oh ! cold and dark must be thy grave 
Love-nurtur'd one ! — the dashing wave 

Rocks thy death-sleep, 
And o'er thy glazed and unclosed eye. 
The high-heav'd clifts, all frowningly, 

Their vigils keep ! 
But why repine, though summer dews, 
And flowers of soft and blended hues 

Deck not thy sod '? 
9 



98 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Thy spirit from the wave upsprings, 
Scatters the white foam from its wings, 
And flies to God ! 

Auburn. 

The great west begins to unfold itself in strong 
characters at this point of our journey. The flour- 
ishing town of Syracuse is one evidence. Let no 
one smile at the classic names in New-York. Not 
a hundred years will pass before a .greater than 
Kome will be in this vast region. Considering its 
Atlantic and internal commercial advantages, its 
canals, its rail-roads, its vast lakes and water-falls, 
its agricultural power, &c., it seems to me that this 
State combines more power and beauty than any- 
other. 

We are usually waited on at the smaller establish- 
ments by young white women, who are modest and 
amiable in their deportment. Maps are to be found 
in the poorest houses. I always stop when the 
horses are watering, and reconnoitre. One sees more 
Buonapartes than Washingtons as ornaments to 
the walls. 

The stage between Utica and Auburn was fa. 
tiguing, but it was beguiled by social dispositions 
and intelligent minds, opening to the influence of a 
cool, unclouded day. One stranger, without any dis- 
play, unfolded the treasures of an ardent and culti- 
vated mind ; he recited to us, occasionally, selections 
from standard authors, whose works fill our minds 
with the best recollections, as well as more modern 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 99 

efTusions ; and, what was a singular coincidence for 
me, a Southerner, he repeated a part of an address of 
the present editor of the Mercury to his classmates. 

We found at the Auburn Hotel a pleasant addi- 
tion to our coach party. Chance has thrown me 
somewhat intimately in the way of three of the most 
eminent physicians of the city of New. York. They 
differ entirely, though they have lived under the 
same influences, travelled in Europe, and would be 
likely to have the same associations. They have 
all contributed, more or less, to the cause of science 
and literature, and are probably as interesting spe- 
cimens of their class as can be found. 

We snatched an hour to visit the Auburn prison. 
I could not look at the manufactures, curious and 
beautiful as they were ; my whole attention was 
rivetted by the convicts. I did not see a small head 
there. There was something sublime to me in the 
unseen chain which kept in order seven hundred 
thieves and murderers. The difference of the Peni- 
tentiary of Philadelphia and this prison may be il- 
lustrated by their mode of eating. I have described 
the custom at the former institution before. At Au- 
burn, there is an immense hall, with tables, on which 
are a wooden plate, knife, fork, spoon, and two cups 
for each individual. They are marched in, in silence, 
attended by their keepers, (one, I think, but I am 
not certain, to twenty.) The superintendent knocks 
on the table, and a blessing is pronounced ; — he 
knocks again, and they commence eating ; again, 



100 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

and they cease, and are returned in silence to their 
work. 

Canandaigua. 

This is a truly beautiful city, and, like the other 
Western towns, is laid out with wide streets. The 
taste in building, in this quarter of the country, ex. 
eels that of the Atlantic cities and villages. The 
hotel, in which I now WTite, is situated on an open 
elevation. It is the Sabbath day, and it has been 
passed by me in grateful repose. We went out this 
morning to seek a church. The occupants of one 
looked too finely dressed for us way-soiled travellers, 
so we entered another, where, the open pews are at- 
tractive to a stranger. I was disappointed at seeing 
(to nie) the greatest charms of a Methodist Meeting 
lost, by the forms being merged in the common mode 
of worship. There was but one Methodist bonnet in 
the building, the gay world's-ribbon decorated every 
other ; there was nothing of the usual prostration in 
prayer, there was a feeble and cold choir, instead of 
the noble shout of praise that usually goes up with 
the united voices of the congregation. The preacher 
read one of St. Paul's most difficult pieces of reason, 
ing, which he accompanied by a more obscure com- 
mentary, instead of those simpler appeals to truth and 
duty which the common people love. 

A young woman in the pew before me was the 
most inveterate starer I have ever seen, and in that 
respect entirely unlike the rest of the congregation. 
She had a strongly marked English air. It was not 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 101 

a furtive glance, directed occasionally, but a close 
reading. As this became exceedingly annoying, I 
practised a ruse, which I hope was pardonable, by ar- 
ranging my pocket-handkerchief on the seat so that 
she might see the name. I knew it was in too small 
characters for her to decypher, but I was in hopes 
she would try. She did, and puzzled over it for the 
remainder of the service. 

Buffalo. 
We rose before dawn at Canandaigua, and were 
kept waiting an hour by the non-arrival of the stage. 
How little is there on such occasions to realize the 
descriptions of poesy ! Sleepy attendants, damp en- 
tries, listless and yawning travellers chewing biscuits 
or tobacco, dews, not upon flowers but upon trunks ; 
but the stageman's whip is heard, the horn is sound- 
ed, the almost endless luggage is adjusted, we are 
seated in the carriage, the face of nature changes, 
out bursts the glorious sun, lighting up the hills, 
we look into each other faces, and find there the 
pleasanter glow of social warmth ; but this exaltation 
soon subsides ; the " hope deferred " of a cup of cof- 
fee " makes the heart sick ;" ennui succeeds ; some 
sleep, some muse on home comforts, some speculate 
on the nodding heads around. An old gentleman 
and a young girl, father and daughter, I suppose, 
were separated on the front seat by a young man, 
a stranger ; it was a warm morning, and the old 
gentleman soon fell off in the lands of dreams. The 
young girl's large eyes began to languish ; her head 
9* 



102 NOTES OF A NORTHERN? EXCURSION. 

drooped ; at a jolt of the coach she became suddenly 
erect, and looked wild; again her countenance settled, 
the glow of sleep mantled on her pretty cheeks, her 
eye-lashes lay darkly on them ; again her head waved, 
now this side, now that, and at length she sank in 
utter unconsciousness, on the shoulder of the youth. 
He tried to edge off, but the weight fell heavier and 
heavier ; he blushed up to the eyes, and seemed to 
feel any thing rather than, 

" Oh lovely burden, why not, thus forever '?" 

He raised his hand once to remove her head, but 
it lay solid as Georgia gold ; his distress became 
comic to observers, which made the matter worse. 
Once she had nearly slipped off, but with natural 
instinct she deposited herself more commodiously 
and securely. The youth looked as if he would 
rather have borne the logs of Prospero than this 
fair charge. At length the stage horn was 
sounded, the innocent awoke so suddenly that she 
was ignorant of the involuntary aid she had re- 
ceived from her neighbor, and understood not our 
restrained mirth at his embarrassment. 

I ought not to omit to mention the beautiful lakes 
which have thrown such a charm over our journey. 
Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Canandai- 
gua, &,c., showing their placid surfaces, and throw- 
ing a soft repose over the traveller's weariness. 
Gardens are often formed down to the water's side, 
as at Geneva, where vegetation is in rich luxuri- 
ance. The wheat fields, and other grain, are turn- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 103 

ing golden for the harvest, and the canal peeps up, 
here and there, like a familiar friend all along the 
way. 

At Rochester we gave a short look at the Genes- 
see Falls. It is a spot of magnificent natural beauty, 
but man is doing all he can to mar it. The place 
where Sam Patch finished his wild career was pointed 
out to us. The most beautiful rainbow I have seen 
is here. I feel complacency in gazing on these sof- 
teners of waterfalls ; they speak a language amid 
the rush and tumult, like that conveyed by the bow 
in the heavens after a storm. 

By diverging northward to Rochester, we were 
enabled to take the Ridge Road, where, though the 
scenery is tame, the travelling is good. There is a 
theory, that Lake Ontario must once have reached 
this boundary. It made us feel far from home, to think 
of our vicinity to these great waters. We were glad 
to repose at the village of Gaines that night, and 
reached Lockport at noon the next day. I should 
suppose this place to be situated something like 
Edinburgh ; it has its upper and lower town, and the 
natural wildness that I have heard attributed to that 
great city. A resident of the South has been prin- 
cipally instrumental in the prosperity of this won- 
derful spot. Here the great Erie Canal has defied 
nature, and used it like a toy ; lock rises upon lock, 
and miles are cut in the. solid stone. We passed 
on for a few hours, and the waters of the Niagara 
river, or rather strait, came in sight ; then the blue 
waves of Lake Erie were visible in the distance, the 



104 NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

mighty beginning of the mightiest cataract of the 
world. 

The enterprize exhibited at Buffalo almost makes 
one catch his breath, particularly when thinking 
what the name denotes, and what it was thirty years 
since, and comparing it with what it is now. I had 
thought the other western towns great, but at Buffalo 
I almost rubbed my eyes to see if all was real. You 
pass through streets of commanding width, lined with 
noble buildings ; you enter stores as fashionable and 
extensive as Stewart's in Broadway, and more ele- 
gant ; you find omnibuses and four flying about, with 
horses larger and handsomer than any at the east. 
Every body is in earnest, yet every body looks good- 
humoured. There is piquancy and originality about 
every thing. When we approached the wharf, the 
porters began their usual cry of, " Any luggage for 
the U. S. Hotel ?— for the Eagle ?— for the Mansion 
House ?" A man stood with his back against a post, 
with a grave look, and when the porters pleaded for 
the U. S. Hotel, he cried, " Yes, go there, you will 
have your pockets picked, and take a fresh start !" 
" For the Eagle ?" " Yes, go to the Eagle, you will 
be starved in a land of plenty." " The Mansion 
House ?" " Yes, go there, excellent feed on bread 
and water ; I reckon you'll see day -light through 
their beefsteaks !" And these jokes were followed by 
shouts of laughter, while the perplexed travellers 
scarcely knew which way to turn. Another set of 
porters were announcing the hour for the coaches and 
steam-boats to start. An oracle among them cried, 



Ts^OTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 105 

" The Circus starts this evening, at half past seven ; 
you'd best go in her, she's got the best horses /" 

We left Buffalo in the morning, having been 
amused by the bustle at the Eagle. I wanted my bed 
made at nine o'clock, to retire, and rang the bell. 
Up flew an [rish waiter — " Directly, madam, direct- 
ly !" I waited a quarter of an hour, and rang again ; 
in rushed a German girl, and we could not say a 
word to each other. I pointed to the bed, she disap- 
peared. I waited a quarter of an hour more, and rang 
again ; and another Irish woman appeared, with a 
pitcher of boiling water, which she affirmed I had or- 
dered. I protested against taking it. " Oh, dear," 
said she, " it isn't it, thin, and where is she to find 
her ?" and scampered away. 

On the whole, we have been well served on our 
journey, and so far from bribing waiters, they have 
been devoted to us every where. Houses are usually 
well furnished, and almost every hotel has its piano 
forte as a necessary luxury. While we were at the 
wharf, a negro fellow came down to sell one of their 
noble looking horses, which he rode with a halter. 
I was inexpressibly amused by his comic recommen- 
dations. He seemed to have entered into the Buffalo 
spirit of enterprize. 

Lake Erie is quite rough just before the waters of 
the Niagara rise ; but the river was speedily gained. 
We had been advised by the majority to see the 
British side of the Falls first, and therefore entered 
Chippewa Creek, and were under the government 
of her Britannic Majesty. 



106 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

A passenger asked me if I was going to visit the 
Falls. I answered, yes. " Well," said he, " you'll 
find it a pretty piece of scenery, I reckon." 

Niagara Falls, (Upper Canada.) 
When entering the steamer Victoria at Buffalo, 
I was startled by the question, " Are you going to 
Great Britain ?" It was the first time I had realiz- 
ed that I was about to be under a different govern- 
ment, and I felt a mighty working of that organ 
which makes captious travellers. We soon left 
the blue waters on Lake Erie, and entered on the 
Niagara river. Grand Island is twelve miles long, 
and is interesting from the fact of its having been se- 
lected as the spot where Major Noah, of New-York, 
projected the city of Ararat, as a rallying-point for 
the Jews. That plan failed, and it is now owned by 
a company of Bostonians for saw mills, &c., and 
is likely to be an extensive and lucrative concern. 
A village is already rising there, with its church and 
school. 

I observed a man smoking and spitting on the 
quarter-deck of the steam-boat, and as I had not 
seen such a spectacle throughout my whole journey 
from the South, I asked who he was, and was told 
that he was an Englishman, the agent for the British 
Hotel. I was lost in astonishment, having taken 
all my views of such matters from Hall, Trollope, <fe 
Co. Of course I entered on my notes, in conspi- 
cuous characters, that Englishmen smoke and spit, (a 
favorite word with English journalists.) As we en- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 107 

tered Chippewa Creek, the first object that met my 
eyes was an English lady, knee deep in the water, 
her sleeves rolled up above her elbows, scrubbing a 
naked boy. My surprise was indescribable, and I 
entered on my notes (I never kept notes but for 
this occasion) the singular manner in which English 
women perform their ablutions in open creeks. As 
we passed through the village, I observed on one 
sign " Storeage" on another, " Travillers.^^ Is it 
possible, thought I, that these are countrymen of 
Johnson, and Sheridan ? I immediately entered on 
my tablets, according to the sweeping custom of fo- 
reign journalists, that the Canadian shop-keepers 
are ignorant of the most simple forms of orthography. 
Dinner was ready on our arrival, and, as the keeper 
of the Pavilion had boasted that there was nothing 
to eat or to see on the American side, I expected a 
great entertainment ; more particularly did I feel that 
I was in a nation renowned for civiHzation and sil- 
ver forks. What was my renewed astonishment 
at finding at my plate a dirty steel fork ! I was al- 
most induced to take out my tablets on the spot, and 
insert, that in the large hotels in British America 
silver forks are not used, and direct teachers to draw 
the shade, meaning uncivilized, over that part of the 
world on school maps. I afterwards discovered that 
about a third of the plates were provided with discolor- 
ed washed metal, three-pronged forks ; and I minuted 
that at the first British hotel I ever visited, a third of 
the visiters can obtain imitation silver forks if they 
happen to sit at the right end of the table. 



108 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

It will be perceived that in detailing these things, 
I am departing from my usual habit of seeing the 
good and agreeable wherever it can be found. I 
have rather done it as a lesson to myself, to show 
how easy it is to describe isolated things as general ; 
how easy it is, in travelling, to revel on a few defects, 
and slight the usefid and fair ; but I have not 
quite wasted my time in the paltry cavilling. My 
room overlooks the Falls ; I have listened to their 
roar, I have sprung often to the windows to see 
the white foam glitter, and rise and die away up- 
wards, like thoughts that blend with heaven, and I 
have felt a spell on my soul as if Deity stood visibly 
there. 

At the first approach to the Falls, from the smooth 
river to the Rapids I experienced a sensation of op. 
pression, followed by trembling and fears ; my first 
full view was at Table Rock, in sunshine. For a 
few moments I longed for the sombre cliffs of Tren- 
ton to relieve the dazzling whiteness of the foam ; 
but as I gazed, my thoughts became dream-like ; 
the far distant and dim future blended together ; I 
felt an indistinct and troubled joy, like the bright 
chaos beneath me. 

I found that tea was ordered at seven, a summer 
evening seven, when Nature has holiday, and the 
gorgeous sun, in his robes of glor}^, is shedding his 
parting honors on mist and waterfall. I told mine 
host that I had travelled thousands of miles to see 
this spectacle, and he politely promised me mine by 
candle-light. After a long, long view at Table 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 109 

Rock, where the waters of lakes and rivers are seen, 
concentrated, rushing over, and thundering down 
the chasm, we descended the staircase, and looked 
upward. In these two views, from above and below, 
one has an idea of the power of the cataract. While 
we were there, several persons passed us in India 
rubber suits to go behind the sheet of water. The 
dress is green and picturesque, and my imagination 
was excited as I saw their receding figures, perceiv- 
ed them rebuffed by the roar and the spray, then 
gain courage, and disappear. It seemed to me like a 
burial, a flood-death, and a deep solemnity absorbed 
me. They soon re-appeared ; and, wrought up to 
the highest enthusiasm, I ventured to ask the first 
individual, with a voice and feeling as if he were an 
arch-angel from the heavenly veil, what were his sen- 
sations. 

" Whart, marm ?" said he, with his teeth chatter- 
ing, and spitting out the remains of the water from 
his mouth. 

"I inquired," I answered, a little dashed, *' how 
you felt behind the Fall ?" 

" It's plaguy cold, I reckon," said he ; " but I 
warn't goin to stick on so fur, without seeing the 
whole on't." 

This interview seemed to cure me of a slight de- 
sire I had felt for this undertaking. I observed by 
the^books, that many English travellers performed this 
exploit — Miss Martineau among the rest. I have 
heard several persons say that the shock is excessive, 
and that there is no beauty to repay one for it. We 
10 



110 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ascended the steps, and turned over the miserable 
scrawls which deface the books, where strangers re- 
cord their names. They are evidently written by 
vain, or idle, or uneducated youths, and are no test 
of the mind of our country ; for scarcely a command- 
ing name is found among the writers. It is a little 
remarkable that there were upwards of a hundred 
persons at the hotel, and I could not learn that there 
was a literary or professional man among them. 
This fact shows a love of the beautiful among the 
whole mass that must cause some scribbling to be 
forgiven. 

Two of us only remained at Table Rock at twi- 
light. There was a fearful beauty in the growing 
darkness and lonehness of the scene. I lay down 
on the rock, with my head over the vast abyss. It 
was an hour of deep and mighty feelings — none but 
moral struggles can rival them in my soul. It is 
now midnight ; the roar of the waters agitates me. 
I have just raised the window, and the white foam 
looks like a troubled spirit in the darkness. I can- 
not sooth down my heart — it is kindled by deep 
workings of the Invisible. 

Cataract House — American side. 
My dreams are very wild here. I am not calm. 

A great voice seems calling on me, which I am too 

feeble to answer. 

I left the Falls, for a {qw hours, with regret, as a 

matter of duty, to visit Brock's Monument. I never 

care to see these tall, ungainly contrivances of brick 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. Ill 

and mortar and stone capacity, unless the associa- 
tions are strongly marked ; and one does not like to 
hear the keeper boast of nine hundred American 
prisoners being taken. The prospect is command- 
ing, but I love infinitely more a closer and more de- 
fined view of nature. The English houses on the 
way are neat, and somev/hat tasteful. More pains 
are taken by the inhabitants than by persons in a 
corresponding class on the other side of the river, 
to hide the unseemly, and cultivate the agreeable. 
At Bridgewater, or Lundy's Lane, we stopped to 
see the battle ground of July 25th, 1814. Marks 
of balls are still visible on the houses and trees. If 
men must fight, there can be no fitter place than in 
the neighborhood of Niagara. Strength to do and 
dare may well be caught from this spectacle. I 
think I could pull a woman's cap to tatters, who 
should offend me there. 

The Museum, on the British side, is arranged with 
peculiar taste and ingenuity. The cases are suffi- 
cently capacious to hold large but graceful branchers 
of trees, which are covered with green and gray moss. 
The birds, their nests or their young, are placed on 
them in natural positions, and the effect is singularly 
living. 

The walk from the Pavilion to the Ferry, after 
one has seen all the minor spectacles, is a grand con- 
elusion to the visit on the Canada side ; and the 
passage across gives a few moments to one's exist- 
ence, never to be forgotten. It was a wild, cloudy 
day, and the scene seemed closely bounded. It is 



112 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

impossible, in the necessary direction given to the 
boat to stem the current, not to believe, as it leaps 
over the rapids, that it is hurrying to the foot of the 
Falls. The rushing of the cataract, and its roar, 
which has seemed to me increasing rather than di- 
minishing ever since I came, are brought fearfully 
near. I closed my eyes an instant, as we approach- 
ed the Fall, but one cannot afford to lose such mo- 
ments. I opened them, and gazed, and that view is 
impressed on my memory forever. We turned the 
seemingly dangerous point. I felt like a triumphant 
rider on a battle-field, and as our boat sprang for- 
ward, and I looked upward to the mass of waters, 
they seemed like giant witnesses. 

And now I am in the United States again. It is 
in vain for me to attempt to describe the beauty and 
glory of this spectacle. I can only tell its effect on 
me individually. We paused at the foot of the stair- 
case, near the descent of the lesser Fall. My agita- 
tion rather increases than diminishes in contemplat- 
ing them. I have felt, ever since I came, as if the 
Great Architect were near. I care for nothing but 
this work of his hand. Human beings, whom I so 
love and prize, move by me like visions. 

We are at the Cataract House, and as agreeably 
accommodated as persons can be who see the beau- 
tiful and sublime giving place to the useful and the 
low. This site is ruined. It is the prayer of all 
persons of taste that Goat or Iris Island may be pre- 
served from this desecration. If any building is 
erected, it should have a classical exterior, with no 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 113 

more clearing than necessity demands, and be de- 
voted to visiters, giving them a short and romantic 
walk to these glorious exhibitions. I was glad to es- 
cape from the sound of the hammer and mill. We 
registered our names at Bath Island, and paid our 
little fee. The rapids at the bridge are indescribably 
beautiful, and have shed over me, I think, as great an 
amount of delight as any other view. I never pass 
them without lingering with a protracted gaze, and 
feeling the growth of thought at every survey ; then 
succeeds the secluded forest isle, in its perfect na- 
tural beauty, affording the eye time to repose, before 
it is again called to bow before the majesty of the 
Cataract. If there was nothing to be seen on the 
island but the view at Lunar Bridge, it would repay 
nature's pilgrim, who comes to worship here. Stand- 
ing near the current of the lesser Fall, a rainbow ap- 
pears at either side, — distinct arches of light, repos- 
ing on the mist like crowns of glory. We descend- 
ed the Biddle staircase, and passed some hours on 
the rocks at the foot of the Great Fall. Here its 
height and power are fully appreciated. The sun 
burst forth in radiance, and the sheeted foam glitter- 
ed like frosted showers in his rays. How hard it is 
to leave that spot — one lingers, and lingers as over a 
new-found joy ! 

Having re-ascended the steps, we rested at the top 
of the hill, on the grass, gathering green moss, and 
preparing for a visit to the tower. Shakspeare's in- 
junction, 

10* 



114 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

" Run, run, Orlando, carve on every tree, 
The chaste, the fair, the inexpressive she !" 

has been obeyed to the letter on Iris Island, though 
the inexpressive hes rather predominate. As I was 
resting on the grass, I saw a fat, hard-faced man, 
carving his name, and lo ! L. P. stood forth on the 
unconscious bark, and he became, to his own thought, 
immortal ! 

The tower is boldly placed over the rushing flood, 
and is forty-five ^eei high ; the access is by a bridge, 
which projects ten feet beyond the Falls. This view 
is the crown and glory of the whole. I felt the mo- 
ral influence of the scene acting on my spiritual na- 
ture, and while lingering at the summit alone, offer- 
ed a simple and humble prayer. Descending the 
Tower, I crossed to the extreme end of Terrapin 
Bridge ; there, lying down with my head over the 
Fall, I ceased to pray or even to think. I gave my- 
self up to the overpowering greatness of the scene, 
and my soul was still. 

My mind has been calmed by rambling through 
the romantic forest walks of the island, where beau- 
tiful, but not overwhelming, views of the rapids and 
falls break through the clustering trees. Yielding 
myself up to the sensation of a new youth, I lost, for 
a while, the excitement of more thrilling scenery, 
and passed several hours in that delicious stroll, while 
the calm clear sky looked through the branches, and 
the shade of the woods softened the summer sun, 
soothing the over-taxed senses. Long — forever, 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. H5 

may this gem of nature, Iris Island, remain in its wild 
beauty. 

This evening we walked, by moonlight, round the 
island, and just as I began to be weary with the 
length of the way, a young married couple, who had 
come to pay true homage to nature, by consecrating 
their new happiness at this shrine, commenced sing- 
ing. Their voices mingling with, and softening the 
roar of the Fall, floated richly on the air, and were 
in sympathy with the soft light of the moon as the 
green leaves trembled in its rays. My weariness 
was beguiled, my steps became measured to their 
songs, and thoughts of the absent came like brood- 
ing doves, and nestled on my heart. 

My last look at the great Falls was at the lunar 
bow, at the extremity of Terrapin Bridge. If I was 
affected at the Gennessee Falls, with the thought of 
the tender associations which spring up at seeing 
this mighty element softened by its peaceful arch, 
how much did the spiritual beauty of this moonlight 
creation touch me in a scene of such surpassing pow- 
er ! The lunar bow lies in its shaded white on the 
mist, like a thing of the imagination, lending grace 
and softness to its majesty. When I had beheld this 
spot in sunshine, I was overpowered ; now a deep 
tide of reflection solemnized and absorbed me. One 
feels thoroughly aZo»e, while overhanging that thun- 
dering mass of waters, with the silent moon tread- 
ing her tranquil way. I thought of soul, and this 
mighty Fall seemed as a drop compared to the cata- 
ract of mind, which has been rushing from the bosom 



116 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

of the Eternal, from age to age, through every chan- 
nel of human nature, now covered with mists, now 
glittering in sunshine, now softened by moonlight, 
now leaping in darkness and uncertainty, and I trust 
in God, destined to flow in many a happy river 
around his throne. 

Kingston, Lal:e Ontario^ Steamer > 
Great Britain. S 

I have been seriously disappointed in this route. 
Instead of keeping along the coast, and having the 
friendly eyes of green trees looking on us, we have 
been out of sight of land, pitching and rolling as if 
we were traversing the Atlantic ; this evil arises 
from the necessity of crossing over repeatedly from 
the American to the British side, and back again, at 
the different towns. From Lewiston, we swept over 
to Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada ; and after 
stopping awhile at Coborg, swept off again across this 
inland ocean to Oswego ; then crossed again to Lex- 
ington, all of which makes a pretty lengthy sea 
voyage, a thing to protest against when one is travel- 
ling purely for pleasure. In this dearth of out of 
door attractions, obliged to lie down from sickness, 
I gave myself up to the interests of the cabin, where 
a variety of passengers, French, English, and Ameri- 
can, amusingly maintained their peculiar character- 
istics. Among the group was a beautiful lady from 
the West Indies, attended by a little mulatto girl, 
with her head wrapped in a picturesque looking tur- 
ban, having all the spoilt prettinesses of manner 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 1 17 

which is SO often seen in Southern colored pets. 
She had under her charge a squirrel, which was kept 
prisoner by a gold chain, two yards long. The boat 
being crowded, we were spread at night three deep 
over the cabin floor ; our countless heads, apparent- 
ly bodyless, looking like the cherubs in the pictures 
of the old masters. Just as we were composed (after 
the combined noises of some young ladies in a frohc, 
and a West India negro nurse, who, with a curious 
compound of French and African dialect, was assert- 
incr her right to one of the best beds, the Irish stew- 
ardess's exercise of lungs, after all, giving out first,) 
one of the recumbent party screamed out that the 
squirrel was loose, and had run over her. The poor 
little animal went whisking his tail over several other 
faces, upon which mingled cries of alarm, mixed 
with shouts of laughter, succeeded, and it was a late 
hour when we slept. 

How unnatural has been our Sabbath, with the 
complaining English, the laughing French, and the 
half and half Americans ! How different from the 
quiet of our blessed home, where the only task of the 
soul is to tread onward its heavenly way. 

On leaving Kingston, we passed the Barracks, a 
fine range of stone buildings, and Navy Point, where 
are two ships of war on the stocks, and soon the thou- 
sand isles began to stud the St. Lawrence, like em- 
erald gems, and as we glided around and among them, 
the imagination could scarcely help recalling in their 
deep solitude those forms with which classic taste 
once peopled the woods and waves. 



118 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

TO THE ST. LAWRENCE. 

River of thousand isles ! in graceful glee 
Has nature thrown around her gems of green, 
Where summer skies look downward joyfully, 
And sheltering trees erect their wavy skreen, 
And waters flow, laving each emerald shrine. 
While nature dwells, lone, silent and divine t 

Bird calls to bird from out these islets fair, 
Unheard man's death-gun, and unfelt his snare, 
And flowers spring up, nor fear a cultured doom. 
Bright families of beauty and perfume. 
Farewell ! a first, last gaze I take — a parting spell, 
Thou'rt woven round my heart — and now farewell. 

We arrived at Prescot in the after-part of the day, 
and went immediately on board of the Dolphin, 
which was to proceed in the night. Some of our 
party visited Ogdensburgh, an American village op- 
posite, a flourishing place, with about a thousand in- 
habitants, near which is an extensive lead mine, of 
the purest ore, which promises prodigious wealth. 
We assembled on deck by a full moon, and sang 
near 

" St. Ann's our parting hymn." 

It was pure romance to sit by that " trembling 
moon," perhaps on the very spot where Moore con- 
ceived the Canadian boat song, and hear the beautiful 
melody svvell forth on the silent air ; and there were 
voices and spirits there that would have gladdened 
the heart of its musical author. It was not on the 
» Saint of the Green Isle" that I called in that calm 
and lovely scene, but a thought of the thousand joys 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 119 

and blessings scattered in my way, touched my heart 
with gratitude to a higher power, in that evening 
song. 

Full of the romantic associations of the evening, 
we determined to see the sun rise on the St. Law- 
rence. The theory of the morning sun on the water 
is beautiful, but the reality of wet decks, the chill of 
the early air, the drowsy looks of the work people, 
who do not rise for the picturesque, and the cravings 
for a cup of coffee, which follows the inhalation of a 
sharp morning breeze, are prodigious drawbacks ; 
nevertheless, the lines of light breaking through the 
clouds, and coloring up the placid river, touched 
me with their beauty, and my heart sang its morn- 
ing hymn of thanksgiving and trust. 

Montreal. 

Glad were we to take the stage, on the fine Cana- 
dian roads, though the appearance of poverty at 
Long Sault, the first settlement we passed, was pain- 
ful. Hut upon hut arose almost more squalid than the 
last; while the half-clothed children, and one entire- 
ly naked, in the bleak morning air, excited sympathy. 
They were evidently the habitations of emigrants. 
A little farther on, was a canal, where the men were 
employed. At the distance of twelve miles from this 
settlement, we again took the steam-boat to Coteau 
de Lac ; after this, stage and steam-boat, alternate- 
ly, through the Cascades and La Chine, to Montreal. 
We stopped a ^ew moments at the Indian settlement 
of St. Regis. As soon as he saw our approach, an 



120 NOTES OF A NORTHERX EXCURSION. 

Indian boy threw off his blanket, leaped into the 
river, and swam by the side of the boat an incredi- 
bly long time. Another lad leaned on an oar in a 
canoe, with that earnest, unsmiling look, which we 
remarked in the boys who ran after the stage in our 
route to the Falls. Before entering Montreal, we 
were saluted in the twilight by shouts, and one or 
two balls of dirt were thrown into the stage. 

On entering 3Iontreal, the narrow streets and 
gloomy looking dwellings were unfavorably contrast- 
ed with the recollection of our niDre airy cities in 
the States. We visited the Cathedral, attracted by 
its imposing exterior. It is an immense building, 
sufficiently capacious to hold ten thousand persons. 
The interior produces disappointment, there being 
not only imitation marble pillars, but bad imitations. 
The painted glass windows behind the altar, repre- 
senting the twelve Apostles, were new to me, and I 
liked the effect ; but the pictures are really not worth 

describinoj. We were interested in visiting the Sa- 
cs a 

cristy, and looking at the priests' garments. Tlie 
vestments of the bishops were gorgeous beyond de- 
scription, wreaths of flowers of every hue being 
delicately wrought in gold and silver, with the sym- 
bolical Lamb in the centre, of most exquisite work- 
manship. 

After a drive through the principal streets looking 
in at one or two wards of the General Hospital, 
where every thing wore an air of comtort. passing the 
Hotel Dieu, the Seminary, and Nelson's Monument, 
we went quite round the mountain, from which the 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 121 

city takes its name. Tiiough a rural and agreeable 
drive, the only point particularly worthy of admira- 
tion is that which embraces a fine view of Montreal, 
the Faubourg St. Antoine, where the bishop resides, 
with the wide-extended country around. On our re- 
turn we visited the convents of the Gray and Black 
Nuns. Whatever may be the speculative views of 
visitors to these institutions, their hearts must be 
softened as they see the pure and graceful nuns glid- 
ing about, administering, with the quietness of daily 
duty, medicine and food to the most, apparently, dis- 
gusting sufferers, objects from whom the world's 
children would shrink in dismay. 

Quebec. 

After some repose we obtained admission to the 
Museum of Montreal, belonging to a society of gen- 
tlemen. This is a small but promising collection. 
As far as I could understand by inquiry, it is the 
ojily literary or scientific association in Quebec or 
Montreal. After a day passed agreeably in these 
various objects, we embarked in the evening in the 
Canada for Quebec. The passage of the St. Law- 
rence is really delightful ; the dwelling-houses, and 
uncultivated grounds along the shore being so fre- 
quent as to make it appear almost like an unbroken 
street ; the churches, which are numerous, giving an 
additional charm to the varied and attractive scene- 
ry. Soon after leaving Lake Rouge, the towers and 
citadel of Quebec opened to view, situated on a 
rock 345 feet in height, called Cape Diamond, from 
11 



122 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

the quality of the crystals found with the granite 
beneath its surface. The view of the city is 
unique. I know of nothing like it. Point Levi ap- 
pears on the right, a rocky precipice, covered with 
white dwellings, and commanding the citadel of 
Quebec from the opposite shore. Passing Wolf's 
Cave, Wolf and Montcalm's Monument, the Parlia- 
ment House, and Martello Towers, consisting of 
four circular forts, forty feet in height, situated on 
the Plains of Abraham, half a mile in advance of the 
wall of fortifications, we landed at the wharf, and as- 
cended the precipitous hill ; our party distributed in 
four caleches, which are uncouth looking articles of 
the chaise kind. As we looked back on each other, 
in this sudden change of vehicle, we could not keep 
our countenances until we were sobered by the mar- 
tial air of the Highland centinels in full costume, 
who were stationed on the way. Then we began to 
feel that we were in a fortified city. We were for- 
tunate enough to obtain lodgings and front rooms 
at the excellent hotel opposite the parade ground. 

As the Canadian dinner hour is 5 o'clock, and 
we were anxious to see the Falls of Montmorenci, 
we immediately took carriages to visit them. Pass- 
ing out of town, through the suburbs, every window 
was full of heads. As there was nothing either outr4 
or distingue in our air, we set it down to the habits of 
the people. On entering the French village of Beau- 
port, which appears to be simply one long street, the 
dogs issued from every yard, barking and snapping ; 
as we passed on, the tumult increased, and as there 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 123 

was certainly nothing peculiar in our air in common 
coaches, we concluded this to he the habit of the dogs. 
How civilized beings can see strangers assaulted thus, 
is inconceivable to me. 

The Falls of Montmorenci inspire none of the 
solemn and mysterious awe of Trenton or Niagara. 
The stream descends in silvery threads, over a per- 
pendicular precipice two hundred and forty feet in 
height, and in connection with the surrounding scene- 
ry, the tree-crowned summits and overhanging pre- 
cipices, is extremely picturesque and beautiful. Hav- 
ing viewed them from the window of the mill, the 
brow of the hill, and the bed of the river, and gazed 
with a lingering look of delight at the distant pro- 
spect, we returned in season to escape a heavy show- 
er, which seemed almost kindly to delay, to gratify 
our love of nature. 

This morning we visited the Catholic Church, a 
spacious stone building, the interior of which is de- 
corated with better paintings than those at the great 
Montreal Cathedral. Near this is the Chapel of the 
Seminary, where the paintings seemed in still better 
taste. On returning to our lodgings, we were de- 
lighted with seeing the regiment of Highlanders, with 
their bagpipes in full play, pass our door. It was 
worth going to Quebec to have one's old associations 
and imaginings thus realized. We remained an 
hour at the Esplanade, seeing the change of guard, 
which it was particularly interesting to me to com- 
pare with West Point, and listening to the music, 
while an obliging and intelligent gentleman of Que- 



124 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

bee obtained tickets of admission for us to the cita- 
del. 

This stupendous fortress includes the whole space 
on the highest part of the Cape, and is intended to 
accommodate the garrison as a residence, and to con- 
tain all military stores. The armory is beautifully 
arranged, and is said to be a perfect miniature re- 
presentation of the Tower at London. One file of 
muskets is kept for presents to friendly Indians. Af- 
ter mounting the wall, and viewing the prospect from 
the highest point on the Cape, we proceeded to the 
flag-staff and telegraph stand, and looked through 
the telescope, by which the signals are adjusted ; from 
thence we went to the inclined plane, which is five 
hundred feet long, extending from the wharf to the 
summit of the Cape, where the perpendicular eleva- 
tion is three hundred and forty-five feet above the 
stream. This plane is used by government to con- 
vey stores, and other articles of great weight, for the 
use and erection of the fortress. On one occasion, 
a heavy load of stone was raised, when the chain 
broke, and it was precipitated with such force as to 
be carried over two boats without striking either. 
Near the lower end of the rail-way is the spot where 
General Montgomery was shot in attempting to as- 
cend the bank when proceeding to the assault of 
Quebec. 

The fortress is still unfinished, although im- 
mense sums of money have been expended upon it 
by government, and though it is, undoubtedly, the 
Canadian strong-hold. The quarters of the soldiers 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 125 

are comfortable, and family groups, about sitting 
down to dinner, added cheerfulness to the scene. 

Having the happiness of joining a delightful party 
from Charlestown, (Mass.) we sent our cards and 
letters to the two Ursulines, who had taken refuge in 
Quebec, but had little hope of being admitted into 
the Nunnery, as we learned from all quarters that 
none but the dignitaries of the kingdom were allowed 
to go over the institution on account of the inter- 
ruption it occasioned to the instruction, and of the 
disagreeable intrusion of mere curiosity. The least 
we expected was a conversation with the two sis- 
ters in the parlor. What was our pleasure and sur- 
prise to find ourselves welcomed with the cordiality 
of dear friends. When I hesitated to proceed with 
some strangers, who had joined us, the religieuse ex- 
claimed, 

" You are welcome ! you are welcome ! The 
names of ******** and *** will ever be a passport to 
this community." 

Tender was the gratitude and warm were the bless- 
ings that greeted those names. Preceded by a sister 
with an hour glass, who accompanied us afterwards, 
we were conducted to the reception room, where the 
Superior received us, and introduced us to the other 
members of the community, with the exception of 
those whom we saw in their respective rooms after- 
wards, attending to their pupils. After a few mo- 
ments' conversation, we were attended by the Supe- 
rior and several nuns, through the various apartments ; 
the simplicity and cheerfulness of our fair conduct- 
11* 



126 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ors, and the neatness and good taste of the establish, 
ment, charming us at every step. In the room de- 
voted to drawing and painting, were some really 
beautiful specimens of the work of the pupils. In 
the sitting room of the community is a painting of 
Christ, which evinces the genius of an artist, by a 
novice. There are several interesting paintings in 
this room, among them the portraits of the foundress 
of the Convent, and of the religieuse who came with 
her to Canada in 1639. 

After visiting the school-room, where about fifty 
blooming girls received us standing, we passed to the 
music room, which contained a harp, pianos, and 
guitars ; from thence to the various apartments de- 
voted to different branches of instruction, where we 
found the teachers, all with the same happy coun- 
tenances and pure attire, attending to their pupils. 
We then were led into the refectory and the kitchen, 
and were more and more delighted with the neatness 
and order which pervaded every part. 

We were introduced into the chapel of the Con- 
vent, unaccompanied by the Nuns. I did not ask 
why ; but I presume, from their serious attitude, as we 
entered without them, that they thought it improper to 
go in but for religious purposes. The altar is a high- 
ly ornamented piece of gilding, executed by the Nuns. 
The paintings appeared to me superior to those in 
the cathedrals. There is a simple monument and in- 
scription to Montcalm ; and an old Nun is now liv- 
ing, who witnessed his interment, to whom we should 
have been introduced but for her extreme age and 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 127 

infirmities. The following is the inscription refer- 
red to : 

Honneur a Montcalm ! 
La destin en lui derobant la victoire 
La recompense par una mort glorieuse ! 

On quiting the Chapel, we passed the hall where 
the charity scholars were assembled in great numbers, 
and both teachers and pupils looked happy. If any 
of our party entered with prejudices, they must have 
been dissolved by the touching interest of the scene, 
from the moment of our reception, to the warm and 
affectionate farewell. 

TO THE URSULINES. 

Oh pure and gentle ones, within your ark 

Securely rest ! 
Blue be the sky above — your quiet bark — 

By soft winds blest ! 

Still toil in duty and commune with heaven, 

World- weaned and free ; 
God to his humblest creatures room has given, 

And space to be. 

Space for the eagle in the vaulted sky 

To plume his wing — 
Space for the ring-dove by her young to lie, 

And softly sing. 

Space for the sun-flower, bright with yellow glow 

To court the sky — 
Space for the violet, where the wild woods grow, 

To live and die. 



128 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Space for the ocean, in its giant might, 

To swell and rave — 
Space for the river, tinged w^ith rosy light, 

Where green banks wave. 

Space for the sun, to tread his path in might. 

And golden jDride — 
Space for the glow-worm, calling by herjight. 

Love to her side. 

Then pure and gentle ones, within your ark 

Securely rest ! 
Blue be the skies above, and your still bark 

By kind winds blest, 

On our return from the Nunnery, we were intro- 
duced to Mrs. Montgomery, mother of the late Su- 
perior of Mt. Benedict, Charlestown, who is about 
to follow her daughter to New-Orleans. We could 
not quit Quebec without visiting the Plains of 
Abraham, to which we were politely accompanied 
by two Montreal gentlemen. We passed the spot 
where was formerly to be seen the rock against 
which Wolfe leaned when he died, and which, to his 
shame be it recorded, an American caused to be 
blown up and buried, on account of the injury caused 
to his grounds by visiters. A small monument has 
been erected by the Governor of Canada, who pur- 
chased the land ; and now pilgrims can come without 
fear of intrusion, and breathe and pray on the sa- 
cred spot. 

Spenser Wood, a seat owned by an English gen- 
tleman, was shown to us as a specimen of English 
taste. It is beautiful spot, but by no means excels 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 129 

the country residences of Massachusetts or the cul- 
tivated plantations of the South. 

Montreal. 

The rain, which seemed to have held back until 
we had gratified our curiosity in the interesting city 
of Quebec, poured down in torrents as we left it, 
but in the comfortable quarters of the steamer Ca- 
nada, which lay at the wharf to start at early dawn, 
we enjoyed a happy repose. Being obliged to tow 
two vessels, crowded with emigrants, our progress 
was slow ; the emigrants were animated by music, 
and the gay strains of the violin swept occasionally 
on the breeze to us, and when we stopped at Trois 
Rivieres, I saw a father and his two young sons play- 
ing together. We went ashore, visited the Ursuline 
Convent, to convey a message from a Quebec Nun. 
The Sister only appeared behind the grate, with her 
veil covering all but a round and benevolent looking 
chin ; but her voice was sweet, and her air graceful. 
It was Saturday, and- about nine o'clock in the 
morning ; but as it is a charm in Catholic churches 
that they are always open, we entered one on the 
way. It seemed to me, though small, the most 
beautiful that I had seen. We walked lightly, that 
we might not disturb the two or three worshippers, 
who had gathered for quiet devotion. 

It was the last day of the Races at Trois Rivieres, 
and as these races unite the jockeys of Montreal, 
Quebec, and the surrounding country, we received 
considerable additions to our company in the boat, 



130 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

beside the winning mare, Brunette, whose name was 
changed to The King's Own, from her having gain- 
ed the purse, the first which WiUiam had appro- 
priated to this object at this place. I heard some- 
thing about her being akin to some Southern racer, 
which I have forgotten. Among the gentlemen, 
were nearly all the officers of the 32d regiment, from 
Montreal, and a distinguished Irish lawyer. The 
commander of the regiment, Capt. Smith, is one of 
the most elegant men I have ever seen. He is brother 
to the celebrated Miss Penelope Smith, who recent- 
ly married the Prince of Capua. Having a very 
elegant piano in the ladies' cabin, belonging to one 
of the gentlemen, we became united through this de- 
lightful medium, and had the singular good fortune, 
passing travellers as we were, of agreeable inter- 
course with some of the intelligent and interesting 
society in Montreal. Oh, how often has music, in 
this long journey, been a bond of sympathy ! 

We arrived at Montreal on Sabbath morning, and 
proceeded directly to the Catholic church ; and 
when there, in that vast and silent assembly, though 
not sympathizing either in principle or habit with 
the forms, yet I gave myself up willingly to the in- 
fluences of the scene ; nor can I conceive that any 
mind of reflection or sensibility should regard them 
with coldness or ridicule. Perhaps if I saw the eyes 
of the congregation fixed on the flower-robed priests 
or tinselled altars, I might feel lightly ; but no, among 
those thousands every eye and knee were bent in 
prayer or meditation, and the decorations passed for 
what they are, mere symbols. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 131 

I thought within myself, God makes not only the 
snow-drop in its pale beauty, and the ring-dove in 
her modest plumage, but he paints the gorgeous robe 
of the tulip, and sends the oriole glancing like a ray 
of light through the forest ; and though I will worship 
in the spiritual and simple form of my fathers, I will 
not pluck one ornament from your gayer shrine. 

In the afternoon, one of our polite fellow-travel- 
lers accompanied us to the English Church, where 
every body agreed that we ought to go, " because the 
regiment and the band would be there." I could 
not but smile at the stress laid upon these things in 
a place of religious worship. How sincerely we 
responded to the petitions for King William and the 
royal family, I am not bound to tell ; but my own 
heart went up in thankfulness for God's goodness, 
and in that dwelling I erected a passing altar to the 
Lord. 

Burlington, Vt. 

We left Montreal in the steamer Princess Victoria 
for La Prairie, where we took the cars for St. John's, 
and from thence the fine steam-boat Franklin for Lake 
Champlain. I have seen nothing, either in boats or 
hotels, to compare with the elegance and neatness of 
this boat. Among other matters of taste are excel- 
lent waiters ; handsome youths, in uniform, with 
stylish caps, from which a silk tassel depends, and 
in the purest white aprons and jackets. 

This is altogether a most exquisite sail. Platts- 
burgh, on the west side of the lake, is a handsome 



132 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

village ; and one looks with interest on McDonough's 
farm, consisting of one hundred acres, which was 
granted him by the Legislature of Vermont. Near 
this location is the island where prisoners were con- 
fined during the war. The most glorious sunset I have 
ever seen, colored up the lake, the hills, and valleys, 
on this lovely evening ; and as we passed the spot 
where the dead lay, foe with foe, who had struggled 
here, I fancied a cloud gathering there, separated it- 
self from the bright and beautiful rays around ; but 
one learns to sympathize with valor, and as I gazed, 
light came upon the cloud and tinged its edges, and 
it grew brighter and brighter until it faded away to 
a heavenly blue. 

THOUGHTS 

On passing Plattsburgh on L<tke Champlain. 

Hush, this is sacred ground, 

Sacred the wave ; 
Here were true warriors bound. 

Here is their grave ! 
Blue mountains dimly smile 

Over each little isle, 
Passing clouds pause awhile 

Over the brave. 

Foeman sleeps near the foe, 

Silent and cold ! 
Passions all hushed below, — 

Tales that are told ! — 
Flowers the green-sod have crowned, 
Summer birds softly sound, 
Murmur the waves around, 

Peace to the bold ! 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 133 

Bellows' Falls, Vermont. 

We arrived at Burlington too late to enjoy the ex- 
tensive view afforded by its elevated site, and left it 
Vk^ith the dawn just opening on the handsome square 
in which our hotel was situated ; but the rising sun 
shone on Lake Champlain for many a mile, contrast- 
ing its tranquil beauty with the mountains towering 
on every side, while Otter Creek River peeped into 
many a valley. Mountains ! mountains ! moun- 
tains ! For two days I have been realizing a wish of 
my life, to be shut out from all things but lofty sum- 
mits and the sky. Our stage companions on this 
route were incommunicative. I was glad to enjoy 
this tranquil breathing-place, and during the long 
days I cherished the associations of the scene in si- 
lence. The memory of the Green Mountains will 
follow me to my dear but level home, and their ver- 
dant tops will be a resting-place for thoughts which 
cannot pass away. 

The rapidity with which we travelled prevented 
me from seeing the Green Mountain Boys ; but one 
little trait of New England character occurred which 
amused me. As we stopped at Leicester, a tall and 
strong featured old man, in a blue farmer's frock, 
with a somewhat gouty walk, was on the tavern 
piazza. 

" How d'ye do, Major ?" said one of the passen- 
gers. 

" Just steppin', thank ye. Captain," was the an. 
swer. "Pleasant weather !" 

12 



134 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

"Too pleasant for some folks," said the passen- 
ger — " We eat more than our peck of dust." 

" Folks are always vvorryin' about something," an- 
swered the Major. " IVs my candid opinion that 
mankind is just about the hardest to please of any 
of God's creation.^' 

There is but little remaining of natural beauty at 
Bellows' Falls. The dashing waters have gone to 
aid a slow canal ; mills are working over the rocks, 
and a bridge hides the most beautiful portion of the 
cascade. 

Watertown, Mass. 

We passed through a corner of New Hampshire, 
and the two meals we ate at Walpole and Fitzwilliam 
were the richest on one whole route. " Honor to 
whom honor is due." 

As several ladies, from preference or necessity, 
had taken seats on the top of the stage, in our New 
England journey, I was disposed to try it from 
Keene to Fitzwilliam, before breakfast. — The scene- 
ry was picturesque, the mountains gradually softening 
down to hills ; a little nameless stream, a tributary 
to the Connecticut, leaping among stones or gliding 
along over the sands, accompanied us all the way ; 
the morning was bright, nature all fresh from a 
shower, and with six horses before, the driver snap- 
ping his long whip beneath, and the landscape 
stretched around, I felt the same excitement as if 
riding on horseback, while the great circle of hills, and 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 135 

woods, and meadows, glowing in the morning light, 
were all my own. 

As we passed through a small village, the driver 
stopped to take in a woman and her son. She came 
running to the house door, wringing out the water 
from a pair of pantaloons. 

" Oh lud ! Oh lud !" cried she, " what shall I do ? 
I ha'nt but jest done sudsing Nat's pantaloons ! 
What will he do to go to meeting with ?" 

Nat stood by in silence, twirling his hat, evidently 
not with his best pantaloons foremost. There was a 
pause. 

" Suppose we let her hang her pantaloons out of 
the coach window," said a young man, who seemed 
to like the fun. It was put to vote among the pas- 
sengers, and carried by acclamation. The good 
woman ran to the rinsinnj tub, and wrung them out 
as quick as thought, a pretty girl from within the 
house brought her bonnet and bundle, she scrambled 
into the stage, hung out the pantaloons, and the un- 
conscious legs kicked off, in freedom, at every jolt, 
in a more unconstrained manner than those which 
were cramped up in the vehicle. 

An evident change is perceptible soon after enter- 
ing Massachusetts ; the mountain grandeur disap- 
pears, except where Wachusett, or some lesser emi- 
nence, lifts its rounded height, and a garden cultiva- 
tion is over the whole country. 

At , I found myself in the stage with eight of 

women-kind, the gentlemen being obliged to take the 
seats outside. Silence prevailed for a little while, 



136 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

when a middle aged lady, with a buff-colored, glazed 
gingham frock, said to her neighbour — 

" If it won't inconvenience you, I should be glad 
to set by the window a spell, as I feel a little qualrn- 
ish." 

The removal was effected, and there was a pause. 

First Passenger. It's dreadful to be sea-sick ridin'. 

" Dreadful !" said two or three. 

Second Passenger. My sister Sally is the worst 
off of any body I ever see ridin'. She was two days 
travlin' in the Jarseys, lookin' as white as a sheet, 
and when her head warnt out o' winder, she was 
obleeged to lay flat on her back in the folks laps, in 
a kinder faint. 

Firsty third, and fourth Passengers. Mercy ! 
Dreadful ! Did you ever ? 

Fifth Passenger, /always feel fainty, like, ridin.' 

Second Passenger. It makes me kinder squeam- 
ish, but I aint nothing so bad as sister Sally. 

First Passenger. I've seen folks turn as white as 
a rag just ridin' a mile. Deacon Jones always 
dooz. Do you feel any better, marm ? (to the sick 
lady.) 

Glazed Gingham. I dont expect to feel no better 
tell I feel worse. 

Fifth Passenger. It always makes me keep spittin' 
and spittin' to ride. I'm obleeged to set by a win- 
der, constant. 

Glazed Gingham, (faintly.) I woul'nt grumble an 
atom, if it warnt nothing but spittin' with me. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 137 

Ninth Lady. Is there any cure for this kind of 
sickness ? 

Eighth Lady. A draught of hot spear mint — and 
a handful put on the chest, gives some relief. 

First Lady. I've hearn tell suckin' a lemon was 
good. Have you fur to go, marm ? 

Glazed Gingham. I calculate to git as fur as Bor- 
ston. 

First Lady. Do you calculate to be poorly all 
day? 

Glazed Gingham could not answer, but her mouth, 
drawn down at the corners, looked unutterable things, 
and she leaned her head out of the window. 

After this the party were silent, some in sleep, 
some in reverie ; and as the stage rolled along, sce- 
nery, familiar to my youth, began to appear, touch- 
ing thrillingly on the thousand chords of memory, 
and my thoughts framed themselves to words like 
these : 

RETURN TO MASSACHUSETTS. 

The martin's nest ! the martin's nest ! 

I see it swinging high, 
Just as it stood in distant years, 

Above my gazing eye ; 
But many a bird has plumed its wing. 

And Hghtly flown away, 
Or drooped its little head in death, 

Since that — my youthful day ! 

The woodland stream ! the woodland stream ! 

It gaily flows along. 
As once it did when by its side 

I sang my merry song. 
12* 



138 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

But many a wave has roll'd afar, 

Beneath the summer cloud, 
Since by its bank I idly poured 

My childish song aloud. 

The sweet-brier Rose ! the sweet-brier Rose 

Still spreads its fragrant arms, 
Where graciously to passing eyes 

It gave its simple charms ; 
But many a perfumed breeze has past, 

And many a blossom fair, 
Since with a careless heart 1 twined 

Its green wreaths in my hair. 

The Barberry bush ! the Barberry bush! 

Its yellow blossoms hang 
As erst, where by the grassy lane 

Along I lightly sprang; 
But many a flower has come and gone, 

And scarlet berry shone. 
Since I, a school-girl in its path, 

In rustic dance have flown. 

My sisters dear ! my sisters dear ! 

And ye still live and dwell 
Among the scenes where early life 

Once threw its gentle spell : 
And, God be thanked ! though some young joys 

Have flown from your soft nest, 
The wanderer finds a welcome still, 

And in your arms is prest. 

Cambridge. 

The annual commencement at Harvard College 
collects one of those great intellectual assemblages 
that brighten the eye and thrill the heart of an am- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 139 

bltious speaker. The orators, on this occasion, 
were grave and respectable, and realized the de- 
scription given in Winthrop's Journal of the first 
nine students who graduated in 1642. " They were 
young men of good hope, and performed their acts 
so as to give good proof of their proficiency in the 
tongues and arts." 

It is seventeen years since I attended this celebra- 
tion ; my thoughts chiefly rested on the audience, 
and were drawn away from the speakers by the 
throng of memories that clustered so richly over the 
scene. There were many changes. The old Puritan 
meeting-house was gone, and had given place to one 
of elegant and classical structure. How the mind 
struggles between a love of the beautiful and a love 
of the familiar — a desire for improvement and regret 
at change ! It seemed to me that I would have relin- 
quished the advantages of the present building, if a 
magic stroke could have restored the old edifice, with 
its coarse architecture, its rattling windows, its little 
balustrades at the top of the pews, by the twirling 
of which I had beguiled many a long sermon in my 
girlish days, and I would even have sacrificed the 
full-toned organ for the bass-viol, with its prelimi- 
nary twang. As the bonnetted ladies entered and 
thronged the galleries, 1 thought of the waving veils 
and flower-wreathed curls, which once made the seats 
look like a garden with white banners. I went back 
to the time when, on the night previous to Com- 
mencement, the then scanty wardrobes of the Cam- 
bridge girls were ransacked for their little finery to 



140 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

grace the day. That gallery presented then a beau- 
tiful sight, and they who saw it, felt that night was 
not wanting to bid the eye sparkle and the cheek 
bloom ; that beauty was even lovelier when the rich 
sim-light developed its intellectual grace, as flowers 
are charming by the evening glare, but fruit glows 
more richly in the day. 

The first object I missed, though well replaced by 
the present graceful and dignified incumbent of his 
office, was President Kirkland, of whom it has late- 
ly been beautifully said, that " his face is a benedic- 
tion." My eyes wandered over the stage where 
bright locks had become grey, and the silvery hair 
more thin. Some had departed, all were changed ; 
buds of promise had bloomed, blossoms had given 
fruit, some had laid their young heads in the grave, 
and some stood ripely ready for the harvest in a 
good old age. There mingled those good, wise men ; 
yet I thought what waves of trouble had flowed over 
each and all ; how passion had swept across their 
souls ! I heard a voice rising from that tranquil body, 
telling the commom lot of man. They have had 
days of strife and nights of bitterness ; they have 
wrestled with the world, with themselves, with God ; 
seeming friendship has mocked, ambition has lured 
them on its bitter pleasures, eating the heart it fed ; 
death has crushed their hopes, and life has been a 
toil, sanctified only by the promise of a home, where 
man shall lay down these cares, where the skies shall 
not darken, nor the leaf drop in autumn winds, nor 
the flower perish ; but all that is beautiful and good, 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 141 

and, God be tlianked, there is still beauty and good- 
ness on the earth, shall look up and smile, and breathe 
heaven's atmosphere of love. 

After musing awhile on these things, until the 
voices of the speakers sounded, dream-like, amid the 
deeper voices of the past, my attention was rivetted 
by one conspicuous individual. I had seen that sub- 
dued glance years ago, at his first college exhibition ; 
it was the same — the same slow raising of the clear 
blue eye, the same deferential bow at honors confer- 
red. The cheek of the man was pale ; on the boy's 
was a crimson spot, where genius seemed feeding ; 
time had laid his hand on the head of the man, the 
boy's fair hair was glossy and full ; the limbs of the 
man, though not large, were firm, the boy was slen- 
der, so slender that it was feared mind would master 
him, and that he would be one of those plants that 
die early. Why God so often takes the premature- 
ly ripe, we know not ; but we know that the respon- 
sibilities of such moral agents as he permits to re- 
main, are fearfully great. The eye of heaven must 
look searchingly down on the individuals it has gift- 
ed so unsparingly. 

At the Commencement of 1811 he again appear- 
ed, still a boy, bearing off the honors of a man. 
There was another lapse of time, and he stood be- 
fore the Phi Beta Kappa Society as a poet ; and 
the lips of the fair opened in praise, and friends ga- 
thered and fluttered like butterflies around the open- 
ed flower, and old men shook their heads in pleasant 
surprise, or gazed upon his modest brow, and bade 



142 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

him God speed. A few years passed, and he stood 
to be ordained in the holy character of a Gospel 
minister. I shall never forget that day. As his fa- 
thers in the ministry laid their hands on his head, 
he looked too slight for so tremendous a charge ; but 
when, at the close of the service, he pronounced a 
blessing on the audience, there was a tremulous depth 
in his voice which spoke of ardent communings with 
duty. 

Another period elapsed, and he visited Europe, to 
glean from its fields pleasure and improvement. In 
the Chapel of Harvard College, on his return, I heard 
his first discourse. It was a brilliant summary of 
interesting things. Since then he has walked the 
halls of statesmen ; his various orations have risen 
like a line of beautiful hills on the literary horizon, 
and he has been crowned with civil honors. 

But are the performances of the day really closed ? 
Have fathers strained their eyes and ears in half 
terrified joy, and mothers shrank into themselves, 
and sisters blushed, and smiled, and wept, as the 
young orators trod the stage ? Have the diplo- 
mas, which seem like the rolls of fate, been given, 
freeing them from collegiate duties, and launching 
them off* to untried scenes? Has the benediction 
been pronounced by the sweet and tremulous voice 
of the patriarch of the scene, and the brazen tongues 
of the band sent out their thrilling harmony, while I 
have been lifting the curtain of the past? 

The pleasure of Commencement day is greatly 
heightened by the attractive levee at the President's. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 143 

It would be ungrateful to allow this opportunity to 
pass without a tribute to the dignified courtesy, the 
graceful hospitality, of the lovely family who contri- 
bute so fully to the happiness of their guests. None 
are overlooked or forgotten, where the charm of 
good -nature is added to the refinement of polished 
manners. There stood on the centre table a grape 
vine in a jar, bearing rich and beautiful fruit. The 
outside of the vase was ornamented by flowers con- 
fined with a string passed round several times, so 
that the vessel itself looked like a beautiful flower. 
This tasteful gift was from the garden of Mr. Gush- 
ing, of Watertown, whose costly and cultivated 
grounds, which I have had the pleasure of visiting, 
attract the notice and admiration of strangers. One 
of the curiosities is a China wall, the tiles of which 
were brought from Canton at immense expense. 
The hot-house presents the most rare East India 
plants. Many of the attendants are Chinese, and 
dress, in part, in costume of their country. The 
grapery is extensive, and as the clusters hung in- 
vitingly before me, in the temperated apartments, 
while a raw east wind was scattering the leaves out 
of doors, I could not but think how our sunny South 
repays, with one half the expense and labor, the ef- 
forts of the careful planter, and yet how few speci- 
mens are to be found of fruit culture. But we must 
be patient ; the " Southern Agriculturalist" regular- 
ly issues its voice of instruction and experiment, and 
private enterprise is awaking with public improve- 
ments. After all, the question may be asked, why 



144 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

not let all who can spend their means in travelling, do 
so ; and instead of wearing out money and health in 
our warm summers, visit gardens like Mr. Cushing's. 
There they will not be called to mourn over a rare 
fruit or flower frost-nipped or broken ; the laborer 
works for their eye unpaid ; they may tread on the 
gravelled paths or marble walks, and inhale the 
odour of rare exotics, and for the time being, throw 
up their hats and shout hurra, this is mine ! As I 
saw the China v/all, and the East India plants, and 
the huge broad Chinese hats of the servants, I thought 
it might be a pretty whim in the rich people of this 
country to copy the style and costume of Europe in 
their country seats. Let one man have an Italian 
villa, and all its accompaniments ; another, a Rus- 
sian retreat ; let a third select some romantic site 
for a Swiss cottage ; another might fancy a Dutch 
flower garden. When we shall dart across the At- 
lantic in our steam-boats in ten days, these imita- 
tions will doubtless increase among the wealthy, and 
it is probable the taste of the laboring classes, too, 
will be more English. The little vegetable garden 
will be ornamented with flowers, the trelliced win- 
dow show forth its honeysuckle or clematis, instead 
of here and there a straggling bean, which is all that 
greets us now ; and the merry bird sings out its notes 
from sheltering trees, surrounding cottages that now 
stand uncovered in the summer sun. But then, alas, 
new modes of evil, new motives to sin, will come 
along with these improvements ; are we prepared, 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 145 

as a nation, to avail ourselves of one without yield- 
ing to the other ? 

PHI BETA KAPPA CELEBRATION, 

There can scarcely be a more imposing audience 
Hhan that which assembles on this occasion. Fa- 
shion and intellect bow together at this shrine. I was 

glad of an opportunity to see and hear President •, 

havingTeud his printed discourses with profound re- 
spect for their elevated character. His appearance 
is grave and dignified, his action graceful, and his 
voice deep-toned ; but no man should apologize for 
a performance which is accepted a year in advance. 
Then it seemed to me that it was not the place for 
an essay on faith. I am exceedingly sensitive about 
running any risk of the abuse of sacred things, and, 
as a matter of taste, should like to avoid the intro- 
duction of sacred topics, treated metaphysically, 
where the mind of an audience would be likely to 
receive them coldly or lightly. Not that a religious 
tone should be avoided ; for there may, and should 
be, in every performance, those appeals to our higher 
nature, which, mingling in with less elevated themes, 
sanctify and ennoble them. 

Never were two beings in stronger contrast, in 
every point of view, than the orator and poet. The 
first, a massy Gothic edifice ; the latter, a Corin- 
thian temple. There was something almost sublime, 
however, in the expansion of the poet's slight figure, 
and the rolling of his large eyes, while he heaved up 
pearls and sea-weed from the little ocean of his mind. 
13 



146 NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

His performance, which lasted an hour and a half, 
was entirely committed to memory. 

Cambridge, Sept. 8. > 
morning. S 

This memorable day is ushered in by clouds, but 
I cannot bring myself to believe that they will not 
disperse. Every thing should be bright on this great 
anniversary, the two hundredth year since the foun- 
dation of Harvard College. The beautiful repose 
which characterizes Cambridge still rests over the 
verdant common and the tasteful buildings scatter- 
ed around it, though thousands of individuals are 
gradually collecting to join the great Jubilee. The 
noble elm of Washington, the tree beneath which his 
tent was pitched in the revolutionary war, is waving 
quietly in the breeze not far from my window, the 
only object in the whole circle of my view, which 
saw the infant day of Harvard ; the colleges stand in 
the early light, silent testimonials of the wisdom 
which planned, and the energy which has sustained 
them ; nothing breaks the stillness of the morning 
but the light or loitering step of the passing stu- 
dents. 

The great subject of excitement for the last week 
has been, whether ladies should be permitted to hear 
the addresses within the tent. There was a strong 
and powerful party in favor of the measure among 
the Committee of Arrangements ; — it was contend- 
ed that the daughters, and wives, and mothers of the 
sons of Harvard, had an interest in common with 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 147 

the Alumni ; that it was a scene for the affections, 
which the jar of politics and the grossness of foren- 
sic debate could not reach, and that it would be an 
appropriate opportunity to indulge them in witnessing 
a style of public eloquence to which their peculiar 
habits render them necessarily strangers. So strong 
was the desire to effect this object among the gen- 
tlemen, that it was given up only at the last moment, 
from the apprehension of too limited a space for the 
numbers that would probably have pressed in. The 
only substitute therefore for the ladies was to visit 
the tent, yesterday, after its completion, and call 
upon their imaginations to locate Webster, and Eve- 
rett, and Legare, and the other Mercuries of our coun- 
try, in their respective seats. 

The site for the tent is well chosen on a green en- 
closure, forming a natural amphitheatre. The cov- 
ering of the Pavilion is supported in the centre by a 
pillar between fifty and sixty feet in height, gradually 
descending in a slope in the Pagoda style, until it 
meets eight pillars supporting a frame work from 
which the canvass reaches to the ground, where it 
is fastened as a protection from air and observation. 
The pillars are covered with white cloth from the 
base upward, and garlanded with flowers and ever- 
greens, while festoons hang gracefully from different 
quarters of the arch. The seats for the President 
of the day and the invited guests are placed on a 
platform in the lowest part of the amphitheatre, while 
semicircular ranges of tables for the alumni, in classes, 
occupy the whole rising ground, and are so arrang- 



148 NOTES OF A TS-ORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed that every individual will face the President of 
the day. 

On this array we, poor ladies, looked like Eve 
when driven from Paradise, and half turned Wol- 
stonecraftians on the spot as we fancied the intellec- 
tual treat which we could not share. 

Next to a view of Niagara has this day thrilled my 
soul. The sun did hreak out in beauty and gladness 
over this noble scene like a sent blessing. Tears of 
emotion have been in the dim eyes of age, trickled 
down the cheek of manhood, and glistened on the 
face of youth, and every woman who witnessed that 
mighty wave of the intellectual ocean of our coun- 
try, felt proud of her connexion with Harvard. 

By nine o'clock there was a crowd of ladies at 
the church door, waiting for its opening. The key 
was turned within, and in we rushed. I should have 
been badly seated, after all, had not one of the seats 
reserved for the President's family in the gallery 
been kindly offered me. From that point of view I 
saw every thing to the greatest advantage, and 
watched with eagerness the procession which enter- 
ed in the following order : 

Students of the University, 

Band of Music. 

Chief Marshal and Aids. 

Committee of Arrangements. 

President Quiney and Chaplain of the day. 

The Corporation of the University. 

Ex-President Kirkland, and President Humphrey 

of Amherst College. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 149 

His Excellency the Governor and Suite. 
The Vice-Presidents of the Day. 
Senators and Representatives in Congress. 
Judges of the United States and State Courts, 
and Attorney General. 
Benefactors of the University, distinguished Stran- 
gers, and other Guests specially invited. 
The Overseers of the University. 
Professors, Tutors, and Officers of the University. 
Gentlemen who have received honorary degrees, and 
who do not come under any regular 
Class of Graduates. 
Graduates of the University in the order of their 

Classes, from the oldest class present, to 1836. 

Students of the Divinity School, Law School, and 

Medical School, who are not included 

above. 

There were no ladies on the lower floor, but count- 
less beaming eyes from the galleries testified their in- 
terest in the human mass that was collecting below, 
filling every point of the building, wave upon wave. 
The Rev. Dr. Ripley of Concord, ninety years of 
age, commenced the services by prayer. There was 
none of the listlessness perceptible that usually per- 
vades a promiscuous audience, in this often desecrated 
service. " The age that was past" seemed speak- 
ing to one and all from his time-worn form with ora- 
cular energy. Then the following Ode, by the Rev. 
S. Gilman, was performed by a select choir : 



13* 



150 NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Fair Harvard ! thy sons to thy Jubilee throng, 

And with blessings surrender thee o'er. 
By these festival-rites, from the Age that is past, 

To the Age that is waiting before. 
O Relic and Type of our ancestor's worth, 

That hast long kept their memory warm ! 
First flower of their wilderness ! Star of their night, 

Calm rising through change and through storm ! 

To thy bowers we were led in the bloom of our youth, 

From the home of our free-roving years, 
When our fathers had warn'd, and our mothers had pray'd, 

And our sisters had blest, through their tears, 
Thou then wert our Parent, — the nurse of our souls,— 

We were moulded to manhood by thee, 
Till freighted with treasure thoughts, frendships and hopes, 

Thou didst launch us on Destiny's sea. 

When, as pilgrims, we come to revisit thy halls, 

To what kindlings the season gives birth ! 
Thy shades are more soothing, thy sunlight more dear, 

Than descend on less privileged earth : 
For the Good and the Great, in their beautiful prime, 

Through thy precincts have musingly trod, 
As they girded their spirits, or deepened the streams 

That make glad the fair City of God. 

Farewell ! be thy destinies onward and bright ! 

To thy childx-en the lesson still give. 
With freedom to think, and with patience to bear, 

And for Right ever bravely to live. 
Let not moss-covered Error moor thee at its side, 

As the world on Truth's current glides by ; 
Be the herald of light, and the bearer of Love^ 

Till the stock of the Puritans die. 

There was a felt stillness as the sentiment and mu- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 151 

sic sank in every heart, and at the close each man 
folded his printed copy carefully like a thing to be 
cherished and carried to his home. 

President Quincy's discourse was an interesting 
revelation of the early history of the College. As 
I walked to the Church in the morning, 1 saw the 
name of Dunster with others enwreathed over the 
College gates, with a dim feeling of ignorance of his 
character ; after the address, on my return, 1 looked 
at it again with changed impressions. I had become 
acquainted with the first President of Harvard. His 
hopes, his struggles and trials had been revealed to 
me by the orator, and I cast my eyes with tenfold 
interest on the grave yard where his remains had 
so long since mingled with the dust. There was a 
happy mixture of graceful good humor mingled with 
the more serious matter of Mr. Quincy's essay, and 
a general smile lit up the countenances of the audi- 
ence to whom bequests of thousands of dollars were 
familiar, to hear him read records of donations to 
the College of an iron spoon and pewter cup, or simi- 
lar articles. 

Dr. Homer of Newton, an octogenarian of the class 
of 1777, made the concluding prayer. The services 
were then closed by a doxology in which every in- 
dividual appeared to join. The voices, perfect in 
harmony, came on the ear like a tuned tempest, in 
their solemn fulness and power. 

Most of the ladies rushed from the house to see 
the procession move to the Pavilion ; a few, perhaps 
half a dozen, were detained accidentally in the gal- 



152 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

lery, and the formation of the procession in the 
Church, which they witnessed, constituted one of 
the most interesting and affecting scenes of the cele- 
bration. The marshal of the day called " the class of 
1759." There was no response, — the only survivor, 
a gentleman from Maine, being incapacitated from 
attendance. Successive classes were summoned ; 
there was a hush over that immense concourse that 
would have made a foot-fall seem loud. At length 
" the class of 1774" was called ; a feeble old man 
stepped forth, and passed along the aisle alone. A 
reaction was experienced, and a burst of animated 
cheers followed his tottering footsteps. It was a 
grand moment. I know nothing finer in the poetry 
oflife. 

But as life is full of variety, so after awhile there 
was a little touch of the ludicrous. The printed 
order made it requisite for the marshal to call on 
" Distinguished Strangers''^ to join the procession. 
At this there was a great deal of half blushing and 
fidgetting as Northern gentlemen bowed and signed to 
Southern gentlemen, and middle State gentlemen were 
bowed to and bowed in their turn. They might per- 
haps have been bowing to this day, had not the fore- 
most been gracefully hustled off the stage, and the re- 
mainder followed naturally as they stood. It was a 
glorious procession when they were all formed, and 
brought the pulse of the spectator higher than mili- 
tary or civic grandeur could do. Thirteen hundred 
persons passed before the eye, who had all drank 
from the same intellectual fountain. It was a seri- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 153 

ous procession, for this would never meet again. I 
scarcely saw a smile. 

There were several private circles which were en- 
tertained hy the hospitality of the Cambridge ladies 
at dinner ; and many from them, to beguile the time 
before the President's levee, walked to the Pavilion. 
As we endeavored to press within, I could compare 
ourselves to nothing but chickens trying at every 
crevice to get at their dam, — now the faint echo of 
a song would reach us, — now the tones but not the 
words of a familiar voice, — now huzzaing and clap- 
ping of hands, and then that silence prevailed, which 
showed absorbed attention to some low tones of elo- 
quence which we could only fancy. 

But the time approached for the interdict of se- 
paration to be taken off, and we retired to dress for 
the President's levee. At twilight the first lights 
appeared, and by eight o'clock the illumination of 
the Colleges, the Law School, the Church and other 
buildings in the vicinity began to attract the throng. 
Invited guests passed and repassed from the Presi- 
dent's fashionably filled rooms to the College grounds, 
as suited their inclination. There was no restraint, 
and one could scarcely say which was more attrac- 
tive, the music, the refreshments, and elegance of the 
saloon, or the brilliant lights abroad, shining on 
groups of happy, yet quiet throngs of all conditions 
and ages. One of the most beautiful combinations 
at an illumination is the effect produced by the light 
on trees. There is a kind of unearthly beauty, a 
mystery in the waving of their green boughs, that 



154 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

attracts me more than the glow of the lights ; and 
the elms in the College yard seemed from their elas- 
ticity to partake unusually of this wave and hue, 
which are so exquisite. 

It is now near midnight, — all is still ; the arti- 
ficial blaze is extinguished, man has exiiausted his 
brief brilliancy, and closes his eyes in rest, but there, 
above and around me shine the stars unfading and 
untiring ; the northern lights shoot up their meteor 
rays in silvery glory, as they did when creation was 
young ; the little fire-fly prunes its light wing, and 
flits as freshly as the day's butterfly ; the breeze too 
is untired, as when it first fanned the wings of the 
seraphim in Paradise, and passes by my window 
busy with its own appointed task. 

Oh sleeping man, how thou dost struggle for thy 
little brief authority over nature and time, and how 
helpless art thou ! Yet what if thy " brief candle" be 
quite extinguished here, not only by sleep but death, it 
shall be lit again from new urns of living light where 
no feeble mottoes and inscription shine in momen- 
tary mockery, but where, kindling in gem-like hues, 
illuminating m.yriads and worlds, shall blaze forth on 
the eternal arch in " buildings not made with hands," 
Immortality, 

But my far-wandering thoughts are recalled by 
the rustling of the wide-spread arms of Washington's 
Elm, whose green leaves wave as lightly as when its 
buds were formed before we were a nation ; and my 
busy musings ask for measured words. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 155 



WASHINGTON'S ELM AT CAMBRIDGE. 

Much hast thou seen, brave tree, 

Since thy young holiday of early leaf, 
When thy slight branches struggled to be free, 

And thy pale root was brief! 

More than the common share 

Has fallen to thy wondrous lot, I guess, 
Great antiquarian of an age most rare, 

Of trial, hope, success! 

Take me among thy boughs. 

Good tree; I to thy vast experience soar! 
More than book knowledge can thy whisperings rouse, 

A sterner, richer lore ! 

I hear an answering tone 

In the long waving of thine aged limbs, 
And the wind's low and sofily uttered moan, 

Like spirits' midnight hymns. 

Did not the Indian's dart, 

When roving wild, make thy young trunk its aim 1 
And some brown girl, beneath thy branches, start 

The fire-fly meteor flame 1 

Dost thou remember, tree, 

Harvard's /rs^ sons 1 Came they beneath thy boughs 
With study pale — or wandering carelessly, 

Dream of fair maiden's vows'? 

And does not every leaf 

Stir with the strong remembrances of one, 
The immortal — the unconquerable chief — 

Thine own — thy Washington 1 



156 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION* 

To think that he did lay 

His weai-y limbs beneath thy very shade, — 
That here he mused, and planned, and thought by day, — 

That here he nightly prayed ! 

To think that here his soul 

Writhed in some stii-ring of war's agony — 
Or wiih a strong, prophetic, deep control 

Looked through to victory ! 

Yes ! 'tis a hallowed spot ! 

Here for my country a new pulse beats high, 
And woman's feeble nature all forgot. 

Here too even I could die. 

Without possessing the romantic characteristics 
of many of the neighboring towns, Cambridge has a 
peculiar charm from the associations connected with 
it ; it may be that beside its literary interest and be- 
witching hospitalities, my heart wakes up at the 
sight of the school-house where I conned my lessons, 
the dwelling around whose humble porch I twined 
the honey-suckle, and the walks where I strolled 
with my schoolmates. I remember one of those 
schoolmates ; she was called early to her rest, but 
a brighter mind never shone in heaven's spiritual 
constellations, than that which dwelt in the slight 
figure of Mary Ann B. Some who read these pages 
may yet remember her, — her laugh " that rang from 
the soul;" her wit, that sparkled like stars in the 
shade of common minds ; her strong good sense, 
that triumphed over her tendency to satire ; her va- 
ried powers, that made 



NOTES OF A NOKTHERN EXCURSION. 157 

" the long summer's day 
Seem too, too much in haste." 

Mary Ann was the life of the masquerades at 
Cambridge. It may surprise many, but it is a fact, 
that masquerades in college, exclusively confined to 
the students however, were permitted as an annual 
amusement so late as 1809. The maskers felt them- 
selves authorized to enter any house, under any dis- 
guise they chose, throughout one appointed evening. 
'J here might be seen the Cambridge girls, usually 
so retired, dressed with more than usual care in the 
slight ornaments of their unpretending wardrobes, 
while unannounced soldiers entered and knelt at their 
feet ; fortune-tellers gazed on the lines of their ex- 
tended hands ; Indian chiefs brandished their hatchets 
in their quiet parlors; pretended Frenchmen, with 
snuff and broken phrases, raised easy laughter ; 
lumbering Falstaffs, who had despoiled their beds of 
pillows, came glorious with clumsiness instead of 
Yv'it ; while here and there a youth betrayed himself 
by an amphibious bow, in attempting a courtsey as 
a fair maiden. 

There was another occasion where Mary Ann B, 
was the soul of our girlish joy, in May day excur- 
sions to Sweet Auburn. Shutting up our books on 
the first propitious day, we sallied to that delicious 
retreat, and gazed on the page of nature. Doubt- 
less our hearts grew on those lovely jubilees, and the 
young eye that seemed listless in its carelessness, was 
drinking in thought like the breath of heaven. Hap- 
14 



158 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

py period I when the heart, in its soarings, perceives 
that the Deity has commenced his first felt spiritual 
creations on the soul, and in gentle visitings stamps 
there pure thoughts and holy aflcctions ! I can re- 
member nothing more delicious than this young 
spirit of piety, this offering up of the unstained 
thought to its Maker in his solitudes! Let those 
who live in cities carry their children, sometimes, 
to a retreat of idleness ; let them pause in the hurry 
of the locomotive sweep of modern education, and 
teach them by hill-side and rivulet. I can hear 
now, though the din of life has long been sounding 
in my ear, the murmur of the beech trees as I sat 
a child at Sweet Auburn on Moss Hill. Who can 
recall these emotions without thinking of eternity ? 

But what a change is here ! The city does indeed 
throng to the spot so sacred to my early associa- 
tions, leaving the dusty world behind. Daily, hour- 
ly, a line of carriages stands at its lofty gate, and 
countless guests pause at the solemn inscription — 

*' The dust shall return to the earth as it was, and 
the spirit shall return to God who gave it" — 
and then enter to meditate among the unrivalled 
varieties of Mount Auburn, or to recall the follow- 
ing graceful and descriptive language of Judge 
Story at its consecration : 

" A rural Cemetery seems to combine in itself all 
the advantages which can be proposed to gratify hu- 
man feelings, or tranquillize human fears ; to secure 
the best religious influences, and to cherish all those 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 159 

associations which cast a cheerful light over the 
darkness of the grave. 

"And what spot can be more appropriate than 
tliis, for such a purpose ? Nature seems to point it 
out with significant energy, as the favorite retire- 
ment for the dead. There are around us all the 
varied features of her beauty and grandeur ; the fo- 
rest-crowned height ; the abrupt acclivity; the shel- 
tered valley ; the deep glen ; the grassy glade ; and 
the silent grove. Here are the lofty oak, the beech 
that * wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,' the 
rustling pine, and the drooping willow ; the tree, 
that sheds its pale leaves with every autumn, a fit em- 
blem of our transitory gloom ; and the evergreen, 
with its perennial shoots, instructing us that ' the 
wintry blast of death kills not the buds of virtue.' 
Here is the thick shrubbery to protect and conceal 
the new-made grave ; and there is the wild-flower 
creeping along the narrow path, and planting its 
seeds in the upturned earth. All around us there 
breathes a solemn calm, as if we were in the bosom 
of the wilderness, broken only by the breeze as it 
murmurs through the tops of the forest, or by the 
notes of the warbler pouring forth his matin or his 
evening song. 

" Ascend but a few steps, and what a change of 
scenery to surprise and delight us. We seem, as it 
were in an instant, to pass from the confines of death 
to the bright and balmy regions of life. Below us 
flows the winding Charles with its rippling current, 
like the stream of time hastening to the ocean of 



160 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

eternity. In the distance, the city — at once the ob- 
ject of our admiration and our love — rears its proud 
eminences, its glittering spires, its lofty towers, its 
graceful mansions, its curling smoke, its crowded 
haunts of business and pleasure, which speak to the 
eye, and yet leave a noiseless loneliness on the ear. 
Again we turn, and the walls of our venerable 
University rise before us, with many a recollection 
of happy days passed there in the interchange of 
study and friendship, and many a grateful thought 
of the affluence of its learning, which has adorned 
and nourished the literature of our country. Again 
we turn, and the cultivated farm, the neat cottage, 
the village church, the sparkling lake, the rich val- 
ley, and the distant hills, are before us through open- 
ing vistas ; and we breathe amidst the fresh and 
varied labors of man. 

" There is, therefore, within our reach, every va- 
riety of natural and artificial scenery which is fitted 
to awaken emotions of the highest and most affect- 
ing character. We stand, as it were, upon the bor- 
ders of two worlds ; and as the mood of our minds 
may be, we may gather lessons of profound wisdom 
by contrasting the one with the other, or indulge in 
the dreams of hope and ambition, or solace our hearts 
by melancholy meditations. 

" Who is there, that in the contemplation of such 
a scene, is not ready to exclaim with the enthusiasm 
of the poet, 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 161 

' * Mine be the breezy hill, that skirts the down, 
Where a green, grassy turf is all I crave, 

With here and there a violet bestrown, 

Fast by a brook, or fountain's murmuring wave, 

And many an evening sun shine sweetly on my grave!' " 



" The voice of consolation will spring up in the 
midst of the silence of these regions of death. The 
mourner will revisit these shades with a secret, though 
melancholy pleasure. The hand of friendship will 
delight to cherish the flowers and the shrubs that 
fringe the lowly grave, or the sculptured monument. 
The earliest beams of the morning will play upon 
these summits with a refreshing cheerfulness ; and 
the lingering tints of evening hover on them with a 
tranquillizing glow. Spring will invite thither the 
footsteps of the young by its opening foliage ; and 
autumn detain the contemplative by its latest bloom. 
The votary of learning and science will here learn 
to elevate his genius by the holiest studies. The 
devout will here offer up the silent tribute of pity, or 
the prayer of gratitude. The rivalries of the world 
will here drop from the heart ; the spirit of forgive- 
ness will gather new impulses ; the selfishness of 
avarice will be checked ; the restlessness of ambi- 
tion will be rebuked ; vanity will let fall its plumes ; 
and pride, as its sees ' what shadows we are, and 
what shadows we pursue,' will acknowledge the 
value of virtue as far, immeasurably far, beyond that 
of fame. 

"But that which will be ever present, pervading 
14* 



162 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

these shades like the noon-day sun, and shedding 
cheerfulness around, is the consciousness, the irre- 
pressible consciousness, amidst all these lessons of 
human mortality, of the higher truth, that we are 
beings, not of time but of eternity ; ' that this cor- 
ruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal 
must put on immortality.' That this is but the 
threshold and starting point of an existence, compared 
with whose duration the ocean is but as a drop, nay 
the whole creation an evanescent quantity." 

There is something very touching in the predomi- 
nance of white flowers around the graves. They 
speak, amid the darker foliage of the grove, a lan- 
guage like hope in our shaded world. No one should 
visit Mount Auburn without a tribute of respect to 
Hannah Adams, its first occupant. I saw her often, 
in my early life, and as I stood by her grave, recall- 
ed her modest worth, her strong integrity, her Chris- 
tian hope. Probably her humble taste would have 
chosen some violet-covered bank for her last resting 
place, rather than the monumental shrine that ad- 
miring friends have awarded her. She humbled 
herself, and is exalted. I remember a little trait of 
modesty which in any one else would have seemed 
affectation. About the time of her writing the His- 
tory of the Jews, she was praising the poetical at- 
tempts of a very young girl, who, feeling the compli- 
ment deeply, said, " Oh, Miss Adams, to think that 
you, who write on such profound subjects, should 
like my rhymes !" " My dear," answered she, ear- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 163 

nestly, with her rapid and somewhat lisping tone, 
" my writings have nothing original ; they are mere 
compilations /" — yet this woman's works were then 
in the libraries of the learned. 

The site chosen by Fanny Kenible for the inter- 
ment of a relative, is beneath cedar trees, and is sur- 
rounded by sweet-brier; but the sweet-brier cannot 
thrive without the sun, and looks withered and sear- 
ed. 

Spurzheim's tomb is attractive in its simplicity ; 
he followed soon the tender appeal of the orator at 
the Consecration — " Here let the teacher of the phi- 
losophy of nature come!" 

Yet to me no spot is more beautiful than that 
which covers the gathered forms, beloved by the ora- 
tor himself. His affecting call has been often sadly 
answered in his own experience, for " youth and 
beauty, blighted by premature decay, have dropped 
like tender blossoms into the virgin earth," and the 
hand of affection has " cherished the shrubs and 
flowers that fringe their graves." 

Yet probably kw persons, of contemplative minds, 
now visit this sacred spot, without feeling that there 
is too much life, too much of the world collected 
there. Idle questions of childhood, flippant jests of 
the gay who have none to mourn for, criticisms over 
the model of monuments where affection longs to 
come and lie down and weep alone, press on the ear 
with painful dissonance to the still harmonies of na- 
ture. 1 joined in the cry, It is great ! It is beauti- 
ful ! But when it was Sweet Auburn, and I strayed 



164 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

there in my lonely childhood, I heard lessons in the 
springing and falling leaves, in the undisturbed 
chants of birds, in the rushing of winds, as eloquent 
as those which cluster over the monuments on the 
spot that classical hands and affectionate hearts, 
combining with its surpassing natural beauties, are 
tending to make another wonder of the world. 

The incongruous combinations at Mount Auburn 
are illustrated by a group whom one of our friends 
saw greatly puzzled over the word fecit. " Who is 
that Fecit family ?" said one ; *' there seem to be a 
great many on 'em !" By the way, it is curious to 
observe how long this Latin word has adhered to 
grave stones ; probably, as some punster cunningly 
eaid, because it is a dead language ! 

SWEET AUBURN. 
NOW MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY. 

Sweet Auburn ! when a gay and happy child, 
Playing with nature like a favorite toy, 
I loved thy haunts, — thy bowers so altered now ! 
Nine summers only on my eyes had smiled, 
When to thy wilds, all unaccompanied, 
Frequent I strayed, slighting more cultured paths, 
Where glowed, mid wary steps, the weeded flowers. 
I sought thy mossy banks— raised a green throne, 
And wielding there the willow's flexile twig. 
Sang idle songs, such as ring wildly forth 
In carol light or sad from untried hearts. 

To Woody Dell I strayed ; not then the voice 
Which since, in manly eloquence, has woke 
Its echoes, met my ear, but the gay birds 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 165 

Sent up clear notes of joy from bough to bough, 
Unconscious, that those notes in after years 
Would change to funeral hymns. 

I climbed thy Hill, 
Whose noble height look'd down o'er art and nature. 
The city's spires stood out, bathed in the glow 
Of distant sun-light, while the gentle Charles 
Lay like a nursing child outstretched in joy, 
Soft murmuring, beneath the waving boughs. 

Then with a light but not unthinking mind, 
A glancing eye, and busy foot descending 
The wooded Hill, I sought the Giant's Grave, 
On whose extended mound the wild flowers rose. 
The soft anemone stood peeping there. 
To woodland gaze the gentle snow-drop's peer, 
And violets that owe their witching charm 
To kindred with an azure eye, — and heaven. 

And can it be the hand, the same small hand, 
That with its soft and twining fingers loved 
To cull the flowers on Auburn's leafy slopes, 
That presses oft in serious thought my brow 
Beneath the star-beam of a Southern sky 1 

Thou, too, how changed, sweet Auburn ! then of life, 
Now of the grave thou tell'st— thy bloom is mourning ! 
And with the wild bird's song the sob of woe 

Mingles most sad. 

I ask no monument, 
Or lettered urn, within thy classic shades. 
Be thou to me as in my childish days 
Clustered all o'er with bright imaginings. 
Though solemn words have sanctified thy Dell, 
Linking its grassy clods with thoughts of heaven, 
Though with fastidious taste affection's hand 
Has piled the costly marble on thy hills, 
And carved it in thy vales ; though the great dead, 
Great in the intellect that cannot die. 
Have made their bed with thee, to me thou art 



166 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Sweet Auburn, and I love thee as the nest 

From whence I joyed to plume my youthful wings 

And soar to man's high nature from the child's. 

I ask no monument within thy shades. 
The rustling branches of our Southern groves 
Shall sooth my sleep of death, kindly as minds 
That circle through thy famed and cultur'd bow'rs; 
The Southern flower spring up as soft and pure 
As thine ; bright Southern birds a requiem pour 
As rich and mournful as thy plumed quire ; 
And Southern hearts, God knows how fervently. 
Breathe prayers and blessings on my humbler grave. 

Watertovvn, Mass. 

The general traveller hurries though the main 
street of this village without comment, though its 
historical interest and local beauty might call on 
him to pause if he reflected on one, or but glanced 
at the other. I, on the contrary, linger along its river- 
banks, where the Charles rolls on in placid bright- 
ness, or ascend its rounded hill, where the woods 
cluster like a loving family, looking calmly down on 
the residences that are scattered below, or visit its 
neighboring country seats, where taste and wealth 
have made Edens of beauty. The general traveller 
has no associations like mine. It was not here that 
he sojourned, when leaving school he began to feel 
the pressure of duty and responsibility mingling in 
with the elastic spirit of hope and enjoyment ; he 
tuned not his guitar on the slope of that hill, nor 
saw the sunset beam up in his evening rambles ; he 
has not trod Sabbath after Sabbath through wintry 
snows and summer heats to yonder old Meeting 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 167 

House, offering up the heart's prayer in its young 
developements. To be sure, as the Sartor Resartus 
saith, in the days of which I speak, " those same 
Church clothes had gone sorrowfully out at elbows, 
nay, far worse, many of them had become mere hol- 
low shapes or masks under which no living figure 
or spirit any longer dwelt;" the subduing hand of 
disease was on the Pastor ; we were at the mercy 
of a bass-viol and clarionet that " gaaged their ain 
gates," the chief merit of the performers being phy- 
sical power, aided, as the Village Choir describes, 
by their stripping off their coats, and beating time in^ 
their shirt sleeves. There was no stove to comfort 
the chilled devotee in winter, nor trees to shade 
him in summer. 

Yet the congregation kept together. The strong 
love of some tie between man and his Maker often 
surmounts and conquers the most adverse circum- 
stances, and while externally all seemed nipped and 
chilled in this garden of the Lord, " religion was 
weaving for herself new vestures wherewith to re-ap- 
pear and bless," and behold, she has re-appeared and 
blessed ! A new and beautiful temple has arisen, crowd- 
ed with attentive worshippers. A choir more full and 
harmonious than can often be met in country towns, 
utters hymns of praise beneath its dome. An organ 
rises in noble symmetry, and peals its triumphant 
notes as if glad to be an instrument of God's glory ; 
and his oracles are unfolded by one of the brightest 
minds he has created. 

I have attended the dedication of this very chaste 



168 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

edifice. There is something exceedingly affecting 
in leaving the church of one's familiar worship* 
The old building stands with a solitary and almost 
human look of appeal to those who cast it off to 
lonely decay. The grave-yard, too, what a lan- 
guage it speaks ! No ground can seem so consecrat- 
ed as that where our first tears have fallen ; and all 
the monuments of Mount Auburn, rising in the vi- 
cinity, are not so touching to me as the now deserted 
tomb of two bright boys, whom I saw laid in this 
grave-yard by hearts breaking with the tumult of 
their Jirst woes. Can it be more than twenty years 
since those children were covered like shut-up 
blossoms beneath that sod 1 Sometimes in looking 
over my relics of the past I see a soft light curl. 
I took it from the brow of the elder as he lay beau- 
tiful in death ; his perfect features still and fair as 
chiselled marble. 1 had watched his slow decay ; I 
saw the dimpled hand grow thin, the blue eye become 
dim, and the smile that once lit his face beam slow 
and sickly. His little arm could no longer clasp 
my neck ; he lay passive in my arms, and so he died. 
What a struggle has he escaped I How often might 
that severed curl have lain upon a throbbing temple ; 
how often been pressed by a hand, whose pulses 
beat to sorrow and despair ! 

These thoughts came upon me in the solemnities 
of the dedication of the new temple, yet I soon be- 
gan to sympathize with those who felt a happy pride 
in their religious ark ; who had wafted it along by 
noble efforts and had come up to give their vows 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 169 

and take shelter for their souls ; nor can I deny my- 
self the pleasure of recalling some of the high and 
beautiful thoughts with which their pastor, the Rev, 
Convers Francis, led their devotions. 

" It is a poor philosophy and a narrow religion," 
said he, "which does not recognise God as all in 
all. Every moment of our lives, we breathe, stand, 
or move in the temple of the Most High ; for the 
whole universe is that temple. Wherever we go, the 
testimony to his power, the impress of his hand, are 
there. Ask of the bright worlds around us, as they 
roll in the everlasting harmony of their circles ; and 
they shall tell you of Him, whose power launched 
them on their courses. Ask of the mountains, that 
lift their heads among and above the clouds ; and 
the bleak summit of one shall seem to call aloud 
to the snow-clad top of another, in proclaiming 
their testimony to the Agency which has laid their 
deep foundations. Ask of ocean's waters ; and the 
roar of their boundless waves shall chant from shore 
to shore a hymn of ascription to that Being, who 
hath said, * Hitherto shall ye come and no further.' 
Ask of the rivers; and, as they roll onward to the 
sea, do they not bear along their ceaseless tribute to 
the ever-working Energy, which struck open their 
fountains and poured them down through the val- 
leys? Ask of every region of the earth, from the 
burning equator to the icy pole, from the rock-bound 
coast to the plain covered with its luxuriant vegeta- 
tion ; and will you not find on them all the record 
of the Creator's presence? Ask of the countless 
15 



170 NOTES OF A TsORTHERN EXCURSION. 

tribes of plants and animals ; and shall they not 
testify to the action of the great Source of Life ? 
Yes, from every portion, from every department of 
nature, comes the same voice ; everywhere we hear 
thy name, O God ; everywhere we see thy love. 
Creation, in all its length and breadth, in all its depth 
and height, is the manifestation of thy Spirit, and 
without thee the world were dark and dead. The uni- 
verse is to us as the burning bush which the Hebrew 
leader saw ; God is ever present in it, for it burns 
with His glory, and the ground on which we stand 
is always holy. 

*' How then can we speak of that Presence as pe- 
culiarly in the sanctuary, which is abroad through 

all space and time ? 

***** 

" Yet it is interesting to contemplate the progress 
of Christianity in respect to the external accommoda- 
tions enjoyed by its disciples. We look back on the 
little and friendless band of the Saviour's followers, 
just after they had returned from the memorable 
scene, at which their Master bade them farewell, to 
go to his Father and their Father, to his God and 
their God. They turned away, as we may suppose, 
with heavy hearts, and when they reached Jerusa- 
lem, assembled in ' an upper room,' where they con- 
tinued ' with one accord in prayer and supplica- 
tion.' What holy and touching associations does 
imagination attach to that room, where were gather- 
ed the small company of God's messengers, from 
whom the word of life was to go forth subduing and 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 171 

blessing the world ! Time rolled on, and that little 
band grew into a large body of believers, holding 
* the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,' and 
carrying with them the power that was to effect the 
greatest moral revolution in the anut^Js of the world. 
During this time, they had stated places of meeting, 
though not such as were then denominated temples. 
As their numbers increased, and as they found periods 
of peace and favor from the civil power, they built 
their churches. These were multiplied rapidly, in- 
somuch that when the edict of Diocletian went forth 
for the destruction of such edifices, there were more 
than forty of these basiliccB in the city of Rome alone. 
Christianity passed through its seasons of sunshine 
and of storm, ever growing, ever reaching forth to 
wider conquest, till a Christain emperor was seated 
on the throne, and the banner of the cross became 
the banner of empire. Then architecture, in its 
most costly and magnificent forms, was summoned 
into the service of the religion of Jesus ; and, when 
Constantine had finished a church at Jerusalem, the 
bishops were gathered from the various parts of 
Christendom, to perform with due magnificence the 
solemn rites of dedication. From that time the 
spread of the religion was accompanied by the mul- 
tiplication of edifices adorned with solemn beauty, 
and consecrated to the services by which the soul, 
in visible forms, manifests its relation to the Infinite 
One and to spiritual being. 

" And now, instead of that one ' upper room,' 
where the little company of heart-stricken disciples 



172 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

met, surrounded by a hostile world, we look abroad 
on those parts of the earth which are most distin- 
guished by all the refinements of life, and in which 
the great intellectual power of mankind resides, and 
see them abounding in the splendid memorials of 
Christian worship, which echo to the prayers and 
praises of countless multitudes keeping the holy day 
of the Gospel. The traveller lingers with reverent 
delight among the venerable temples and time-hal- 
lowed cathedrals of the old world ; and our own 
fair land, a new and glorious conquest for the Gos- 
pel, is covered with churches, whose towers and 
spires glitter in her crowded cities, or point peace- 
fully to heaven on the hills and along the valleys of 
her beautiful villages." 

I congratulated an old inhabitant, after the ser- 
vices, on the finished beauty of the building, the 
crimson hangings, the noble organ, and the various 
accompaniments of convenience and taste, and we 
were naturally led to the discussion whether religious 
services were more faithfully attended now, than when 
long walks and thin walls tested the sincerity of the 
worshipper. She lamented that with all the luxurious 
aids of modern times, an indifference was manifested 
now-adays towards attendance at church, that would 
have made our stricter forefathers groan in spirit. 
Her grandmother had told her, that no distance or 
inclemency of weather had prevented her from going 
to meeting when a girl ; that mothers took their in- 
fants when but four weeks old, and wrapping them 
in their arms, travelled through snow and sunshine 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 173 

to the ordinances of religion. There were seats 
provided in the broad aisle for those who had babies, 
and they generally brought apparatus for feeding 
them. My informant was obliged to confess, how- 
ever, one accident that occurred in this church nur- 
sery, which more fastidious modern taste has avoid- 
ed. A dog prowling about the porringers of pap 
and fennel-seed in the broad aisle, came to a pitcher 
of milk, and thrust his head in. As if to punish 
this sacrilegious theft his head stuck there, and un- 
able to relieve himself he ran from pew to pew with 
the pitcher attached to him, drawing away the at- 
tention of the congregation from the 7thly and 8thly> 
with which they ought to have been edified. 

Worcester, Mass. 
The cars left South Boston, a part of the great 
metropolis destined to hold an important weight in 
this region, between three and four P. M., for this 
exquisite town. It was a brilliant summer's after- 
noon ; the beauty of the scenery would have been 
almost charm enough to one who loves to watch the 
varying lights and shades in the bird-like flight of a 
rail-road, but I was blessed beyond the joy of exter- 
nal nature in the presence of friends whom absence 
had not chilled, and whose tenderness threw a mel- 
low freshness on the heart, like the sun's rays that 
began to slant in yellow glory around us. Journey- 
ing in Massachusetts is a good deal like reading 
Thomson's poetry. As cultivated fields, and gentle 
slopes, and miniature streams, and mimic lakes flit 
15* 



174 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

by, a gentle and dreamy repose steals over the mind, 
opposed, and perhaps not unpleasantly, to the sterner 
beauties of more Northern scenery. Two hours' ex- 
cursion, I think, brought us to Worcester, and it has 
seemed to me, in my short and happy visit of twen- 
ty-four hours here, that 1 am in a garden. I have 
been in no place where the cultivation of externals 
appeared so much the fashion. It is a real gift to 
the stranger to decorate one's windows and porches 
with flowers, and let him peep into open fences where 
nature and art are busy, instead of shutting up their 
products within massy walls. 

A stranger, of course, is carried to the rooms of 
the Antiquarian Society, and there, as he turns to 
the boohs, and likenesses, and relics, he feels that 
even an American begins to have a peg on which to 
hang national reminiscences. The two first bibles 
published in America were issued at Worcester in 
1791. As I was turning over the file of an old colony 
newspaper, I was struck with an advertisement, the 
force of which can only be felt by one who has tra- 
velled through our country, and seen the time-pieces 
that decorate the most common establishments. It 
was to this effect : " A clock-maker from London may 
be expected to travel in July next, through Philadel- 
phia, New- York and Boston, for the purpose of re- 
pairing old clocks ! ' 

The Hospital for the Insane exhibits one of the 
most beautiful of all charities in the greatest possi- 
ble perfection. It seems to me that no one, with 
the proper control of his reasoning powers, can see 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 175 

our asylums in this country without deciding that 
they should be his refuge if destined to the calamity 
of insanity. We found most of the patients employ- 
ed and cheerful. We were introduced by the attend- 
ing physician, to whose politeness we were much in- 
debted, to several interesting individuals. After a 
very courteous reception from one, who was told 
that we came from South Carolina, he said, ab- 
ruptly, " Have you felt any of my earthquakes there 
lately ?" 

On one of the party replying in the negative, he 
frowned, and said, — 

" I knew it. I have an enemy. Ice — ice — Why, 
I ordered one of my best earthquakes for )^our part 
of the country ! It was to have ripped up the earth, 
and sent the Mississippi rushing into the Gulf of 
Mexico. Look here," he continued, pointing to a 
slight crack in the plastering, his arm stretched out 
with an air of importance, " that is one of my earth- 
quakes. What do you think of that ?" 

Passing by a variety of characters, we came to 
an apartment on the women's gallery, where sat a 
very neatly dressed female. She welcomed us with 
peculiar grace, requested us to be seated, and one 
of our party said, " I am glad to see you so happy." 

" Happy !" exclaimed she, " Oh am I not happy ? 
Providence has been too kind to me. I am loaded 
with blessings ; my heart," (and she pressed it fer- 
vently) " is overwhelmed with mercies. I have 
every thing that I want, and oh, much more than I 
deserve ! Yes, one thing I do want, ladies," (in 



176 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

a low tone) " the tear of gratitude ; it will not flow, I 
am surrounded with blessings, yet my eyes are dry. 
Oh, \a.dies, for the tear of gratitude r' We left her 
with her hand on her heart, and her bright glaring 
eyes upraised to heaven. 

I think it was at the Hospital in New- York, I was 
congratulating one of the insane who had been con- 
versing with me very rationally, upon her comforta- 
ble quarters, when she turned to me abruptly with a 
knowing wink, and whispered close to my ear, — 

" Suppose you come and try how comfortable it 

is!" 

Cambridge. 

I left beautiful Worcester with regret, for beside 
its imposing location and tasteful residences, and 
admirable institutions, there were minds near which 
I should have joyfully lingered. I had my usual 
good fortune in delicious weather. Again the rail- 
cars darted on, and again the setting sun shone glad- 
ly over glowing nature, and I reached Boston after 
this formerly long journey as quickly as a fairy on a 
moonbeam, and prepared for an evening party. 
Why can I say so little about parties, even in Bos- 
ton? There was the brilliantly illuminated room 
that cast no shadow, the soft and courteous salute, dis- 
tincruished strangers, stately ladies, graceful girls, 
ornaments lavished by taste and wealth, fruits rich and 
tempting ; all that the eye seelis when it asks for fa- 
shion and splendor; nothing that the heart wants 
when it yearns for answering sympathy; nothing that 
the mind cherishes when it seeks intellectual food. 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 177 

Parties are levellers of intellect ; even wit, that light 
ball, gets lost in a crowd, however iiigh the skilful 
hand may toss it ; and as for wisdom, she, poor thing, 
hides behind the fold of some damask curtain and 
moralizes in silence. 

There is, however, in Cambridge, a very pleasant 
association of ladies and gentlemen, called the Book 
Club, which is an exception to the above charge. It 
is composed of twenty families, and a meeting of 
the members takes place tho first Thursday evening 
of each month, at their respective houses, in regu- 
lar order. A subscription of five dollars per annum is 
paid by every family, and this amount is laid out in 
the purchase of recent publications of any value. 
These books are circulated in regular succession 
to all the members of the Club. A certain number 
of days are allowed for the reading of a book; at 
the expiration of the time it is forwarded to another 
member, and thus they are kept in circulation through 
the year. If the book is retained over the time al- 
lowed, a fine is laid at five cents per day during the 
period of detention. This regulation has a tenden- 
cy to make the members jtunctual. 

At the annual meeting the members have a sale 
of the books on hand, by an auction among them- 
selves, and the proceeds are appropriated to the pur- 
chase of new books for the following year. This as- 
sociation has existed several years, and it has been 
found to exercise a very happy influence on society. 
The evening on which they meet, passes in agree- 
able conversation, and as the refreshments are simple, 



178 NOTES OF A NORTHER?^ EXCURSION. 

and give little trouble in the preparation, there is 
less of formality and ceremony than in most parties. 
Strangers are invited, and it affords them an oppor- 
tunity of seeing the- refined and literary society of 
Cambridge. The members are chosen by ballot, and 
the choice must be unanimous ; by this arrangement 
great harmony prevails, and it preserves the charac- 
ter of a select society. The circumstance that the 
same books are read and enjoyed by so many, gives 
an interest to the members, affords topics of conversa- 
tion of a cheerful nature, and a knowledge of the 
passing literature of the day at little expense of time 
or money. 

Salem, Mass. 

I must begin with a protest against the joke of 
table drawers in this good city, as I hold it from re- 
peated experience to he a great libel ; better dinners 
or more hospitable hearts are rarely to be found ; 
but as every one may not understand the allusion, I 
must mention, that it has been handed down as a 
kind of traditionary characteristic of the Salem peo- 
ple, that they keep their food in table drawers at 
meals, that when a knock is heard at the door it 
may be slipped in, lest they should be expected to 
ask visiters to partake ! 

The drive to Salem from Boston is over an excel- 
lent road, and occupies but two hours ; this however 
is too slow for modern habits ; nothing but a raiUroad 
will answer in our hurrying era. I confess the turn- 
pike affords but little in its scenery to attract the 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 179 

eye, since long ranges of sterile land are almost all 
that is visible. Now and then the ocean is in sight, 
and sometimes a green spot where the eye revels, as 
much from contrast as for its natural beauties. It 
is a little singular that I should have heard the same 
two anecdotes told by the passengers in the stage 
on this drive, that I did some years ago on the same 
road. 

" Did you ever hear," said one, " of a man who 
robbed himself near this bridge ?" (the floating 
bridge.) 

" No," was the answer, " that sounds oddly." 

" As a traveller was passing this spot," said the first 
speaker, " he heard groans of distress and cries for 
assistance. Alighting from his vehicle, he searched 
the neighboring fence, where he found a man lying 
prostrate. He had been attacked, he said, by rob- 
bers, who had taken from him a large sum of money 
with which he had been entrusted, bruised and beat- 
en him, threatened his life, thrown him over the 
fence, and had then run away. The good stranger 
assisted him to rise, sympathized in his misfortunes, 
and carried him on his way. Suspicions were after- 
wards excited, he was arrested, and proved to have 
robbed himself in order to keep the money !" 

" You have hearn the story of the pump, I reck- 
on," said another traveller. Most of us smiled, but 
one had not, and asked for it. 

" Well, one night," said the passenger, " a gentle- 
man was ridin' from Borston, and it might be a little 
darker than this, just a kind of glimmer you 



180 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

know, when folks dent see real. This is a plaguy 
pokerish road o' nights, and aDout them times there 
was stories of highwaymen about. Well, this gen- 
tleman got pretty nigh home, and was despert scar- 
ed to see a figur standing right at the road side with 
his arms out, tryin to stop him with a pistol cocked ; 
so he rammed his hand into his pocket, and took out 
his purse, and says he, ' Sir, spare my life and take 
my money.' Well, he threw the purse slat upon 
the ground, at the robber's feet, and rid on in a jif- 
fey.* When he got home he told how he had been 
attacked by robbers, and made such a to do that the 
folks double locked their doors. The next morning 
as another person was ridin' along the turnpike, he 
seen a well-filled purse lyin' down under the nose of 
a pump by the road side !" 

When our laugh had subsided, the driver stopped 
a moment, and we heard, not a robber's but a child's 
voice asking us to buy pond lilies, and one of the 
passengers, a stranger, gallantly purchased all and 
presented them to us. These little acts of courtesy 
are the poetry of travelling. How many I have met 
on my way ! 

It was late twilight, and I could not see the beau- 
tiful flowers, but their odour was enough for me. I 
was wafted back to childhood, beside a still pond, 
where I saw their white petals and yellow stamens 
floating on the waters. 

The city authorities which have been organized 

♦ At a quick rate. ♦ 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 181 

©nly a few months, and have lately finished the pres- 
sure of their duties, with a true esprit du corps, have 
made an excursion together among the islands round 
the harbor, with a ^ew gentlemen strangers. This 
is really an interesting circumstance, and perhaps 
it would soften many a heart if men of business 
would sometimes steal a day from the city, and look 
thus on nature. Some of them went fishing, some 
black-berrying, others laid under the shade of trees 
in pleasant intercourse until the main party return- 
ed with their fishing trophies, and they all partook 
of a repast, giving themselves up to the lighthearted- 
ness of youth with the additional spicy wit of ma- 
turer age. 

Salem is justly proud of her Museum, and its pe- 
culiar value has arisen from the marine taste of the 
people, who have contributed to it for a long series 
of years, mostly from the East India voyages. It is 
singular that the charge of penuriousness should be- 
long to a town where there has always been a large 
complement of seamen, a race of men notorious for 
their warm hearts and open hands. This generosi- 
ty is very perceptible in the elegant contributions 
which have been lavished on this pet of the com- 
munity. But while the scientific eye ranges with 
delight over such vast collections, I feel a weariness 
of head and feet in the well-filled galleries. One 
bird flying in solitary freedom over the green trees, 
one shell tinged with its rich natural painting, one 
flower throwing out its perfume, one insect hum- 
ming in the sunshine, one painting hanging without 
16 



182 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

competitors, where I can take in the whole expres- 
sion, one relic of antiquity bringing up the strong 
associations of the past, give me more delight than 
the most crowded halls. 

It may be that the smallness of the number attract- 
ed my admiration, but I have rarely seen a collec- 
tion so brilliant as one of entomology in Salem, dis- 
connected however with the Museum. I think it is 
kept by a private association. Were it not for the 
savage spears that impaled them, these insects would 
have seemed ready to fly. 

The scenery around Salem is not picturesque, but 
we enjoyed a delightful drive through Lynn to the 
mineral spring. Lynn, which is recorded in the 
geographies as only remarkable for shoe-making, 
has taken great strides in wealth, and also boasts 
its literary associations. In the last year no less 
than six hundred houses have been erected. An in- 
telligent gentleman informed us of one peculiarity 
of this place. The shoe-makers are its aristocracy, 
that is, they stand higher than store keepers, &c. 
This would furnish a good hint for a political econo- 
mist. 

The burial ground at Danvers is remarkable as 
being the resting place of the heroine of one of our 
earliest American novels, Eliza Wharton. Eliza 
Wharton was written by Mrs. Foster of Brighton, 
Mass. about fifty years since, and relates, under that 
name, the history of an unfortunate girl, over whose 
melancholy fate many tears have been shed. It is 
said that some years after she had died of a broken 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 183 

heart, a stranger came to Danvers, passed one night 
in loneliness and lamentation over her grave, and 
went away without communicating his name. In 
youth, in my days of romance, (who has not had 
them ?) I once strolled over this hurial ground as I 
passed through the village, and gathered some wild 
flowers. 

The pond by the mineral spring at Lynn is a 
spot of great loveliness. After wandering along the 
banks, a portion of our company were induced to 
step into a small sail boat that lay very temptingly 
at hand, and with the excitement usually attendant 
on such enterprises, pushed off. The scene was as 
bright as a rich setting sun on the clear water and 
waving trees could make it ; but unfortunately the 
wind changed as we were about to return, and then, 
instead of holding up our " happy human faces" to 
take in this rich scene, it was nothing but tack, tack. 
Our nice bonnets were wedged down to let the boom 
pass over us, and we gained about a foot only at 
each movement ; and what added to the ridiculous 
in our situation was, that our friends ashore were 
envying us, thinking that it was prolonged from 
choice, and that we were playing with the winds and 
waters. 

Dr. Brazer's church in Salem is one among the 
most attractive looking buildings I have yet seen. 
It is constructed of a rich, dark granite, the stones 
carefully split and cut in blocks of a uniform size, 
but not hewn or polished. This plan gives to the 
whole structure a massy effect. 



184 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

The church, now under the pastoral charge of the 
Rev. Charles Uphara, claims to be the First Ameri- 
can Congregational Church. The second Century- 
Lecture was delivered there in 1829. In turning 
over the pages of this interesting discourse, I was 
struck with the following exquisite lines of Hugh 
Peters, one of its ministers in the first century : 

HUGH PETERS'S WISH FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 

I wish you neither poverty 

Nor riches, 
But godliness, so gainful 

Without content ; 
No painted pomp nor glory that 

Bewitches ; 
A blameless life is the best 

Monument ; 
And such a soul that soars a- 

Bove the skie, 
Well pleased to live, but better 

Pleased to die, 

I cannot resist adding the following synopsis of 
Hugh Peters's work, written during his confinement 
in the Tower, — " A dying father^ s last Legacy to an 
only child" which is extracted in Mr. Upham's 
notes : 

Whosoever would live long and 

Blessedly, let him observe these 

Following Rules, by which 

He shall attain to that 

Which he desireth. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 



185 



Thoughts 

Talk 

Words 

Manners 

Dyet 

Apparel 

Will 

Sleep 

Prayers 

Recreation 

Memory 



f Divine, Awful, 

j Godly. 

I Little, Honest, 

I True. 

I Profitable, Holy, 

Charitable. 
I Grave, Courteous, 

I Cheerful. 

] Temperate, Convenient, 

I Frugal. 

Sbe<! Sober, Neat, 

Comely. 
Constant, Obedient, 

Ready. 
Moderate, Quiet, 

Seasonable. 
Short, Devout, Often, 

Fervent, 
Lawful, Brief, 

Seldom. 
Of Death, Punishment, 

1^ Glory. 



Salem has been, and is, as distinguished for her 
politicians and men of science and professional su- 
periority as any quarter of our country, and female 
intellect has there expanded in full bloom. In look- 
ing back on her literary history, there is a blank 
on her poetical page. I will not even except the 
volume of one of her judicial sons, (Salem claims 
his earlier powers,) since he, as he stands now on 
his high eminence, grasping the key of legal know- 
ledge, pronounces poetry the sin of his youth. Ac- 
cording to my theory, the perfect, in whatever it may 
consist, is poetical, and thus the learned Judge be- 
longs to the Muses in jurisprudence if not in rhyme. 

Charlestown, Mass. 
The objects which have made a day and evening 
16* 



186 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

pass off with interest, and left a long train of associ- 
ations for n\e connected with this place, are the Dry 
Dock, the Monument at Bunker's Hill, the Lunatic 
Hospital, the ruins of Mount Benedict, and an eve- 
ning party. 

The Dry Dock was constructed by Loammi Bald- 
win, Esq. who resides in this place, and was the ar- 
chitect for the basin at Gosport. I felt anew the ad- 
miration which was excited by that great work. By 
the politness of friends we were carried over the 
United States' vessels, now repairing ; nothing, how- 
ever, excites me more, than to look up to a vessel on 
the stocks in a ship- house, and see the huge thing mo- 
delled by such a comparatively diminutive object as 
man ; and yet there is one object greater in mecha- 
nical power, — this mass tossing and dashing on the 
ocean, yet capable of being governed by the touch 
of a child. Mechanical power gives me a clearer 
idea of the Creator than moral power ; and the rea- 
son probably is, that mechanism, as far as it goes, is 
perfect, while moral effort is almost always mixed 
with selfish alloy. 

The unfinished Monument is as sublime and inter- 
esting an object to me as if it were reared in the 
hurrying spirit of the age. Why hasten it ? Why 
not let years roll on, and the men, women, and child- 
ren of successive periods carry it to its projected 
height ? Is there any danger that New England will 
forget this noble task 1 There will always be the 
same interest, the same pride. If the pillar of Absa- 
lom was raised stone by stone, by an offended na- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 187 

tion, who threw on the pile as they passed, their 
touching reproof of final ingratitude, cannot a monu- 
ment be erected through successive years, even if 
it were stone by stone, for those who have become 
immortal as true sons to their country ? There is 
nothing alarming or ridiculous to me in the present 
delay of this noble pile. The citizen of Rome does 
not value St. Peter's the less for having been a long 
series of years in building. 

The general Lunatic Hospital of Massachusetts, 
in this place, vies with its sister establishment at 
Worcester in beauty of location and completeness 
of arrangement. It has one advantage, however, over 
any I have seen ; an intelligent and graceful lady 
has devoted herself, personally, to the amelioration 
of the wants and sufferings of the female inmates. 
What more delightful thought can Christianity offer, 
than that these wandering minds, when called to their 
eternal, spiritual home, shall recognize such a bene- 
factress ? 

But a more appalling picture than the wreck of 
mind awaited me at the ruins of Mount Benedict, the 
former residence of the Ursuline community. Phy- 
sical infirmity produces sadness, but moral obliquity, 
horror. I have seen instances where the love of the 
picturesque has induced persons to erect seeming 
ruins in our young country, but there is no need of 
this artificial effort here. These blackened walls tell 
a story of deep and awful pathos. I walked on the 
broken terrace, where the sisters and their young pu- 
pils used to sit of a summer's afternoon, while the 



188 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

traveller on the road below paused a moment at the 
sight of their graceful forms as their dresses flutter- 
ed in the wind ; I passed the wall over which the 
frightened creatures leaped at midnight by the light 
of their burning home ; and I saw the rifled tomb, 
which the mob left empty, as it is now ! On the 
few walls that are still standing, one may see mot- 
toes and words indicative of the feelings of the por- 
tion of the community who destroyed them. It 
will hardly be believed that a couplet like the fol- 
lowing is one of the least vulgar and blasphemous 
there ; 

" The Priests go to hell 
While the Yankees ring the bell." 

There are epithets connected with the names of 
some of the former inmates, whose grossness is 
enough to madden a sensitive mind. I scarcely 
know whether to wish the whole ruin levelled and ob- 
literated, to avoid the accusation it seems to speak to 
the mind of a stranger, or to let it stand as a solemn 
warning to the descendants of those Pilgrims who 
sought on this very soil — 

" Freedom to worship God." 

I should not have enjoyed the brilliant evening 
circle, which was assembled in a Charlestown draw- 
ing-room, had I not heard, almost every where, a 
protest against this outrage. Even amid the glow 
of beauty and fashion many voices still deprecated 
the mob-spirit which has brought upon this region a 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 189 

stain that time will hardly wipe away ; and among 
the kw with whom it was my happy lot to meet 
intimately, I know that if generous and devoted 
friendship could have saved the community, they 
would have been saved. 

QUINCY. 

I was glad to make a pilgrimage to this shrine, the 
associations of which are dear, not only to New-Eng- 
land but to all Americans, from its having been the 
residence of John Adams and Josiah Quincy. It 
throws a peculiar charm over the spot to find the de- 
scendants of these distinguished men still enjoying 
the elegant retirement of their ancestors, and dis- 
pensing their graceful hospitalities. I believe the 
sturdiest republican cherishes this feeling at heart. 
A likeness of one of the earliest members of the fami- 
ly of the great patriot and orator Quincy still hangs 
in the sitting-room, and one can trace his mild and 
benignant expression through his descendants. 

A friend informed me, that when a boy of eleven 
years of age, he visited John Adams with a gentle- 
man of his acquaintance. Having read and heard 
discussed the violent politics of the times, and know- 
ing that Adams and Jefferson were on the very op- 
posite sides of the political wheel, he was astonished, 
as Adams stood on a little knoll beside him, to hear 
him break out into a beautiful eulogium of his rival. 
" It taught my youthful mind a lesson," said tho 
narrator, " which I have never forgotten." 



190 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

3Ir. Dowe's Library at Cambric! report. 
The traveller is fortunate who obtains access to 
this singularly beautiful collection of books and en- 
gravings. Gov. Everett, in one of his public ad- 
dresses, has noticed this library and its owner, who, 
amid the laborious employment of leather-dressings 
has been able to collect volumes, the beauty of which 
honors the white-gloved hand of the most delicate 
lady, while their rarity is grateful to the inked fin- 
gers of the student. Mr. Dowse's rooms have been 
the admired resort of his friends for many years, and 
his kindness in permitting them to gratify strangers, 
is as beautiful a trait of the heart as fine taste is of 
his mind. His collection is almost exclusively com- 
posed of the belles lettres department of literature. 
If you wish to go back to the fount of English poet 
try, or renew an early love of the British classics, 
or find the choicest translations of admired works, 
or taste the later eff'usions of modern novelists and 
rhymers, or search the fields of history, biography, 
or travels, there you may revel to your heart's con- 
tent ; and no musty, worm-eaten old book, or thumb- 
ed and dirty recent favorite, will shock you, but you 
will find rich binding and clear type wooing your 
eye ; and while you visit larger establishments, you 
will look back on those precious rooms as a literary 
gem polished to all possible perfection. 

Boston, Mass. 
Every thing material, moral, and religious in this 
great city is in motion. Houses that many other 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 191 

places would be proud to possess, or be years in 
building, are pulled down, and palaces rise in their 
stead in as many months ; theories and speculations, 
from which other regions shrink, are here received 
and examined, and antiquity guarantees no repect 
for creeds. Boston is a rival to Philadelphia in 
beauty, but varies as a brunette from a blonde. 

At a dinner party yesterday, I heard the subjects 
of Swedenborgianism and Animal Magnetism dis- 
cussed by advocates of the truth of both. There 
are many individuals here inclining to a belief of 
the latter mystery. He to whom I allude on the 
present occasion, had not only witnessed the opera- 
tion, but was himself a magnetizer. The patient 
he described was a middle-aged woman, who had long 
been an invalid, and who had given her consent to the 
experiment. — The magnetizer followed the custom- 
ary mode. He stood or sat immediately in front of 
her, looking in her eyes, with the palms of his hands 
open towards her, passing them up and down before 
her person. I think there was no contact, but the 
approach was as near as possible without it. This 
is the act which induces the magnetic sleep. The 
first day it was several hours before the patient slept ; 
the next period was much shorter, and on the day 
when this relation was given, the period had not 
been more than a quarter of an hour. When in 
the magnetic sleep, the subject is conscious only of 
the acts and words, and sometimes thoughts, of the 
magnetizer. The gentleman stated that a pistol, 
fired off directly by the ear of the patient without 



192 NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

any previous knowledge of the intention on her partj 
produced no start or change of pulse ; while she 
answered not only whispered questions of the mag- 
netizer, but questions whispered in the entry with 
the door shut. 

This account was given by a grave scientific 
man, who had no other interest in the subject than 
one of medical inquiry. He affirmed nothing of 
his belief, but only stated what he had seen and 
done. I have read the statements of the abuse of 
this power among the French in the English jour- 
nals, and my prejudices were all against it ; but I 
was induced to pause at least, and, if not actually 
to believe, to inquire, when a man of thinking mind 
and cool temperament gave such a testimony. En- 
tire scepticism is weaker than credulity. 

If the truth of this theory should be established, 
the great question of its safety and propriety must 
be agitated. The most unsafe period will be this of 
experiments ; once establish its philosophy, and bring 
it to bear on medical science, and checks will be in- 
stituted to deprive it of evil results. There is no 
danger from truth, but from ignorance. Animal 
Magnetism has been introduced into Boston by a re- 
spectable Frenchman, and every one should be glad 
that the physicians of that place are testing it. 

The French appear to be carrying into operation 
with the physical, somewhat the same course that 
the Germans are in the metaphysical world ; and 
the great experiment of cures without medicine is 
now being acted on, upon their system, in the Bos- 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 193 

ton Hospital. I was assured, by an individual con- 
nected with the institution, that the treatment was sa- 
tisfactory. The latest medical statistics in France 
show the same result, the amount of recoveries with- 
out the use of medicine being strikingly larger than 
those with. 

Farewell, then, to phials and boluses ! Methinks 
I see the defeated genius of medicine, with his dis- 
comforted face drawn down as if by ipecacuanha in- 
fluences, striding off through clouds of powders, and 
dashing castor-oil, that inexpressible abomination, 
upon the earth ! But then, alas ! what, among other 
things, will become of the first and last pages of Ame- 
rican newspapers, if advertisements and certificates 
are exploded, and the mild sway of baths, and gum- 
water, and herb teas is to resuscitate the land ? 

Mr. AlcotVs School, 

I pass by any description of the Athenaeum and 
other prominent objects, which have been so often 
the theme of notice from others, to those less known, 
but not less interesting. Mr. Alcott's school comes 
under this class, and whatever may be the practical 
effects of his system, I am confident no one can pass 
a forenoon in observing his process of mental culture, 
without imbibing new thoughts, and respecting the 
unbending perseverance with which he adheres to 
his principle of self-development in childhood. But 
perhaps the only way of throwing any light on his 
system here, is to describe its course in the ?ew hours 
daring which I had the pleasure of witnessing it. 
17 



194 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Mr. Alcott's room is a commodious one in the 
Masonic Temple. He sits in an elevated situation, 
and his scholars are so arranged that he can see 
them all at a glance. The quarter had but just 
commenced, and some of his pupils were in the 
country ; many were new scholars, for very few 
people have patience to follow out his system, and 
children unfortunately are apt to be withdrawn be- 
fore it is fairly tried. There were about twenty 
scholars present, the eldest I should judge not over 
twelve years of age. The writing books were ex- 
hibited, in the early stages of which the children fol- 
low their imitative faculties almost without rule ; 
the improvement, however, was very distinctly mark- 
ed. We were then allowed to examine the journals. 
Each child keeps one daily, which is left to his own 
taste in its subject and arrangement. At length 
Mr. Alcott commenced reading. The subject he 
selected was allegorical ; but he modified, explained, 
and asked questions and opinions, until it was made 
plain to the comprehension of his pupils. 

When reading something respecting punishment, 
he asked — 

" Do you think people ought to be punished ?" 

Several hands were held up, to show that answers 
were ready. Mr. Alcott heard them in turn. Some 
said, " I do." One said, " I don't," with rather a 
low voice and roguish look ; others said, " When 
people are naughty, they ought to be punished." 

Mr. Alcott then asked, " When you are punished. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 195 

are you sorry because it hurts you, or because you 
have done wrong ?" 

One said,*' I don't like to be hurt." Another said, 
" I don't like to have my parents angry with me." 
Two or three said, " I am sorry that I did wrong.'* 

After this subject was fully discussed, Mr. Alcott 
introduced that oi^ justice, and when many opinions 
had been given on the abstract question, he said, 
" If any of you think I have been unjust, you may 
tell me so." 

Several hands were raised, and many voices said, 
" You did not give us as many minutes at recess yes- 
terday as usual." 

Mr. Alcott confessed that he had not, said that he 
had good reasons for it ; and to show that he wished 
to make restitution, told all the scholars they might 
remain out as long as they chose, and go home if 
they preferred. In ten minutes they were all back, 
some in less. When seated, they commenced ana- 
lyzing, which is conducted on the plan of parsing, 
except that it goes into the meaning of words and 
into abstract principles. 

" What is mother?" he asked, after several other 
words had been examined. 

" A noun,'* was the answer. 

"Is mother a material or spiritual object?" he 
asked. 

Several hands were held up — some said mother 
was "spiritual," some "material;" one said, in a 
low tone, " both," but Mr. Alcott did not hear him« 



196 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

" How can mother be spiritual ?" said Mr. Alcott ; 
" hands and feet are not spiritual." 

"No," said one, "but hands, and feet, and face 
are not my mother. Soul is my mother." 

"If your mother were dead, should you have a 
mother?" said Mr. Alcott to all. They answered 
variously ; but she who said soul was her mother, re- 
plied — 

" Yes, I should have a mother even if my mother 
were dead." 

I observed the countenance of one boy greatly 
agitated during this conversation ; at length he burst 
into tears, and sobbed out, " If my mother were dead, 
I should not have a mother." 

Mr. Alcott changed the subject, and mentioned to 
me afterwards that this boy's parents were distant 
from him. 

The teacher and the pupils, (he informed me,) have 
sometimes been so much interested in following out 
a subject in this way, as to spend a whole forenoon 
upon one word. Some portion of every week is pass- 
ed in conversations on the New Testament, and Mr. 
Alcott has compiled them as " evidences of the truth 
of Christianity from the testimony of childhood." 
There probably has never been a book written 
which will convey so curious a mental picture. 

I have given this little sketch as well as my me- 
mory will allow, for the purpose of attracting some at- 
tention to the subject at the South. Mr. Alcott is 
probably the ultraist of his class of teachers, yet every 
one must confess that there is so much of mere 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 197 

memory culture in common schools, that the heart, 
affections, and even understanding, are neglected. 
Still, though I was witness to the graceful confidence 
of the pupils, and the untiring patience of the mas- 
ter, I can imagine that from day to day there should 
be almost as much parrot-ism in the answers of child- 
ren on this system as in any other. The few, as in 
other schools, will take the lead, and work out bright 
answers ; while the rest will either copy doggedly, or 
wait for the natural developments of time and obser- 
vation. 

Swedenhorgian Chapel. 

I was desirous to witness the service of this pecu- 
liar people, from many interesting associations. I 
knew a Swedenborg lady in early life, and her cha- 
racter left the stamp which goodness always will 
leave on the memory. Her mind was one of great 
symmetry, though but little power ; and it was there- 
fore more remarkable, that amid ridicule, and some- 
times harsher language, she collected around her the 
ponderous tomes of her spiritual master. She attend- 
ed the Episcopal church with her husband and child- 
ren, but her heart was in Swedenborg's heaven. I 
saw her stemming trials with firmness, bearing re- 
bukes with meekness, and holding a conversation 
above the world ; and from that time, such is the pow- 
er of virtue, I have continued to respect what I could 
not believe. She has since gone where truth is no 
longer dimmed by clouds. 

The Swedenborg chapel is a neat edifice, respect- 
17* 



198 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

ably filled. The music consists entirely of chaunts 
of the Psalms; it is very tender and sweet. A 
quiet, attentive air pervades the assembly. I was 
desirous of hearing a discoui^se characteristic of the 
views of this religious community, and was amply 
gratified. The preacher selected one of the wild- 
est portions of the prophetic writings of the Old 
Testament, in which is embodied a description of a 
battle field after defeat. Nothing could be more ma- 
teridl than this picture to an unenlightened eye, until 
he spiritualized it. The Hebrew, I confess, would 
have been quite as intelligible to me as his para- 
phrase. 

Sacred Music, 

I have not been more delighted with any thing on 
my journey, than in the improvement in psalmody in 
this region. The influence of the Handel and Hadyn 
Society has produced a change that I feel most 
strongly. I have remarked that punctuation is ob- 
served in common psalmody, and that it gives great 
beauty and force to the sentiment. 

The want of uniformity in the posture of many of 
the congregations is displeasing. Were this princi- 
ple of choice of position carried out, each person 
would be at liberty to make the sermons and prayers 
subject to the same irregularity. 

Children's Church, 

Boston stands pre-eminent in its religious facili- 
ties for the poor, and is also distinguished by hav- 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 199 

ing a church for children. A great number attend- 
ed on the Sabbath, and were addressed in language 
suited to their capacity. The pulpit was decorated 
with brilliant flowers, and the preacher seemed as if 
about to expatiate on them, but his discourse was on 
the death of Jesus. He endeavoured to associate 
death with every thing tender and pleasing, and to 
avoid the gloom with which it is usually shrouded. 
He exhibited some butterflies beautifully pressed, 
and the chrysalis from whence each sprang ; and 
at the close of his remarks, recited the following 
ballad : 

MOTHER, WHAT IS DEATH? 

" Mother, how still the baby lies, — 

I cannot hear his breath ; 
I cannot see his laughing eyes — 

They tell me this is death. 

My Uttle work I thought to bring, 

And sat down by his bed, 
And pleasantly I tried to sing, — 

They hushed me — he is dead. 

They say that he again will i-ise, 

More beautiful than now, — 
That God will bless him in the skies — 

Oh, mother, tell me how !" 

" Daughter, do you remember, dear, 
The cold, dark thing you brought, 

And layed upon the casement here, — 
A wither'd worm you thought 1 



200 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

I told you that Almighty power 

Could break that withered shell, 
And show you, in a future hour, 

Something would please you well. 

Look at the Chrysalis, my love, — 

An empty shell it lies ; — 
Now raise your wandering thoughts above 

To where yon insect flies 1" 

" Oh yes, mamma ! how very gay 

Its wings of starry gold — 
And see! it lightly flies away 

Beyond my gentle hold ! 

Oh, mother, now I know full well — 
If God that worm can change, 
And draw it from this broken cell, 
On golden wings to range j 

How beautiful will brother be, 
When God shall give Aim wings, 

Above this dying world to flee, 
And live with heavenly things. 

If it were ever justifiable for a thrill of grateful 
pride to go through an author's heart, it would be at 
the selection of her humble effort at such a moment, 
herself unknown. 

The children sang together very sweetly, and the 
services closed by their repeating the Lord's prayer 
after their pastor. 

The Bethel Church, 

I found myself at the very antipodes of the calm 
and spiritual repose of the Swedenborg chapel, as I 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 201 

followed the crowd to the Bethel Church. It was 
not without its interest to me that this edifice stands 
on the spot where I was born. 

When I entered the building, Mr. Taylor, the pas- 
tor, whose reputation for eloquence is so widely 
extended, was walking about the pulpit in great 
anxiety and concern, arising from the fear that the 
seamen would be crowded from their seats. Lean- 
ing over, he stretched out his hand, and called out, 
with a loud and earnest voice, — 

" Don't stir, my brethren ! not a seaman must go 
out." 

The occasion was one of peculiar solemnity. A 
service of communion plate had been presented, and 
this was the first opportunity for appropriating it. 
Having heard Methodist preaching frequently at the 
South in its most fervid tone, I was probably not so 
much impressed by the sermon as a Bostonian would 
have been. Mr. Taylor's changes, like those of his 
denomination generally, were rapid, varying from 
the boldest rhetorical flights, to the most common- 
place expressions. The sermon being over, he de- 
scended to the altar, and called two individuals to 
the rite of baptism. One was a middle-aged seaman, 
the other a little girl of five years of age, led by her 
mother. He had not proceeded far, before I saw 
and felt the power of his natural eloquence ; his 
audience were soon in tears. He grasped the hand 
of the seaman, and welcomed him as one who, from 
sailing on stormy seas, had reached a safe harbor. 
' After the usual invocation and form of baptism, he 



202 NOTES OF A NORTHER?? EXCURSION. 

again took his hand, and smiling on him kindly 
said, " God's baptism be on thee, my brother ; gt; 
in peace." Tlien turning to the woman, he exclaim- 
ed, 

" And the widow did not come alone ; no, she 
did not come alone, she brought her baby with her." 

He took the wondering but passive little girl in 
his arms, and raised her so that we could all see her. 
After the silence of a moment, he said, 

" Look at the sweet lamb ! Her mother has brought 
her to Christ's fold !" 

There was another pause ; he touched her fore- 
head with the baptismal element, pronounced the 
invocation to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
and saying solemnly, " A baptism from heaven 
be on thee, my pretty dove," kissed her flushed 
cheek tenderly, and placed her by her mother's 
side. 

The congregation were then invited to kneel at 
the altar, and partake the communion. The seamen 
went first, file after file, pressing respectfully on, 
while their pastor addressed to each words of cau- 
tion and encouragement. 

" Brother, beware, take heed," he said to one 
whose face bore marks of worldly cheer, " the tempt- 
er is ever ready." And to one who looked deject- 
ed, he said soothingly, " Come to the Lord, my bro- 
ther ; the yoke of Jesus is easy, lay your cares on 
him." 

When the seamen communicants had all visited 
the altar, others followed, and as circle after circle 



NOTES OP A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 203 

knelt around, the good man was often obliged to 
pause in his addresses. Weeping and agitated, he 
walked the chancel, exclaiming, with broken sobs,— 

This is the happiest day of my life. Oh my God, 
the happiest day that I have seen since I was 
born !" 

I went with the rest, and there, on the spot where 
God gave me being, dedicated him anew my faculties 
and hopes, and asked his blessing on the homeward 
path upon which I shall enter on the morrow. 

Beautiful New England, farewell ! How often, in 
my happy sojourn here, has the following descrip- 
tion, dear to me from many associations, risen to my 
memory : 

ODE 

For the Anniversary of the New Eiigland Society in 
Charleston, S. C. 

BY S, GILMAN. 

New England ! receive the heart's tribute that comes 

From thine own pilgrim-sons far away ; 
More fondly than ever our hearts turn to thee 

Upon this thine old festival day. 
We would rescue, with social observance and song, 

Awhile from oblivion's grave, 
The lov'd scenes of our youth, and those blessings recall 

Which our country and forefathers gave. 

We have gazed on thy mountains that whiten the sky. 

Or have rov'd on thy tempest-worn shore, 
We have breathed thy keen air, or have felt thy bright fires, 

While we listened to legends of yore. 



204 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

We have gathered thy nuts in the mild Autumn sun, 
And the gay squirrel chas'd through thy woods; 

From thy red and gold orchards have plucked the ripe store, 
And have bath'd in thy clear-rolling floods. 

When thy snow has descended in soft feather'd showers, 

Or hurtled along in the storm. 
We have welcom'd alike with our faces and hearts 

Its beauteous or terrible form. 
We have skimm'd o'er thine ice with the fleetness of wind. 

We have reared the thick snow-castle's wall, 
And have acted our part in the combat that rag'd 

With the hard-press'd and neatly-form'd ball. 

We remember the way to those school-houses well, 

That bedeck every mile of thy land ; 
We have lov'd thy sweet Sabbaths that bade in repose 

The plough in its mid-furrow stand. 
We have joined in thy hymns and thy anthems, that 
swell'd 

Throuigh Religion's oft-visited dome. 
We ha:ve blest thy Thanksgivings, that summon'd from far 

The long-parted family home. 

Can distance efface, or can time ever dim 

Remembrances crowding like these. 
They have grown with our growth, and have minister'd 
strength 

As the roots send up life to the trees ; 
Then be honour'd the day when May flowers came, 

And honour'd the change that she boi-e, 
The stern, the religious, the glorious men. 



And oh, Carolina! full gladly thy name 
In our green wx-eath to-day we entwine ; 

If New England awakens the thought of the past, 
Our present and future are thine. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION, 205 

Thy interests, thy rights, we acknowledge our own, 

On thy soil we are destin'd to fall ; 
Thy just confidence lend, and accept in return 

Our love, our devotion, our all, — 

We have been favored with a rapid and favorable 
passage from Norfolk ; Charleston light-house bore 
in sight, and the pure and beautiful thoughts con- 
ceived on the same spot by a popular author, came 
to my memory, aiding and mellowing the happiness 
of retiM'n : 

THE LIGHT OF THE SOUL. 

Written off Charleston Light at evening. 

BY B. B. THATCHER. 

Over winds and waves, far out 
From the shadows of the shore, 

I see the mariner's beacon 
Its silvery splendor pour. 

And sweeter is the sight 

Than all the wealth, untold. 
That o'er the Orman grottoes, 

Breaks forth in blazing gold. 

Yet, built on earth's low strand, 

That light may only show. 
Where the fields of time are greenest, 

And its blooms the fairest blow. 

O dearer and diviner flame ! 

O changeless, changeless st<irl > 

ITkoii mind'st me of the one that shone 

O'er the magi's wandering far. 
18 



206 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

Oh ! shine for me, ye starry hopes, — 

Immortal hopes in Him ! 
Ye are holier, and ye give more light, 

As the mortal grow more dim. 

And now the level shores of Carolina appeared, 
and soon, at a distance, St. Michael's spire, the 
seamen's beacon, awoke tender thoughts of home. 
The vast and the lovely in distant scenery was for- 
gotten, and the affections invested the ohjects of my 
love with a beauty and proportion that eclipsed fairer 
scenes. It was under such influences of locaf affec- 
tion that I penned these lines to 

ST. MICHAEL'S SPIRE. 

St. Michael's spire ! St. Michael's spire ! 

How fair thou risest to the sight — 
Now, glittering in the noon-sun's fire, 

Now softened by the "pale moonlight!" 

Dread storms have thunder'd o'er the sea, 
And crush'd the low and rent the high ; 

But there thou standest, firm and free. 
With thy bright forehead to the sky. 

Fierce fires in rolling volumes came. 
But gleam'd innocuous on thy tower. 

War's cannon roared with breath of flame, 
Unscathing thee, career'd its power. 

Symmetric spire! Our city's boast, 

In scientific grandeur piled ! 
The guardian beacon of our coast, 

The seaman's hope when waves are wild ! 

Palladium ! on thy lonely height 

The faithful watchman walks his round, 

While rest and safety rule the night. 
And stillness, as of holy ground. 



NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 207 

All sleep but thee — Thy tuneful bells 

Hymn to the night-wind in its roar, 
Or float upon the Atlantic swells, 

That soften summer on our shore. 

Soother of sickness ! Oft thy chime 

A gentle voice to darkness lends ; 
And speaks a language deep, sublime, 

When love o'er dying virtue bends. 

Thou guid'st the youth to classic hours, 
The labourer, to his task confin'd ; 
• The maid, to joy's resplendent bowers, 
Th' ambitious, to the strife of mind. 

Thy Sabbath summons, not in vain. 

Calls the mixed city to their God ; 

•Each gravely seeks his chosen fane, 

And treads the aisle his sires have trod. 

And nobly do thy paeans flow, 

When patriots shout the annual strain, 

That echoes from far Mexico, 

To where St. Lawrence holds his reign. 

Gliding along bold Ashley's stream, 
Or Cooper's, hung with mossy grace, 

We turn to gaze upon thy beam. 
And hospitable joys retrace. 

And tender are the thoughts that rise, 
When, sea-bound from thy level shore, 

The tear of parting dims our eyes 
Till we can view thy point no more. 

And when, returning to our land. 

The summer exile nears his home. 
How beats his heart, and waves his hand, 
As first he greets thy welcome dome. 



208 NOTES OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 

St. Michael's spire! I close my lay, 
Touch'd by the moral thou hast given, 

Though duties throng my earthly way, 
My look, like thine, shall be to Heaven. 



END OF A NORTHERN EXCURSION. 



SOUTHERN 

LOCAL SKETCHES, 



BY 



CAROLINE GILMAN. 



18* 



EXCURSION UP COOPER RIVER. 

My rocking chair, thou velvet luxury ! I come to 
thee from the odorous Mocha beverage with the 
morning paper in my hand. Delicious summary ! 
On these four pages are pleasures that require no 
preparatory trouble, pains that ask no sympathy. 
I see nations moving on thy broad leaves, coming 
and going in silent panorama. Why, here are kings 
and warriors, poets and statesmen, for my compa- 
nions ; I sail over oceans, I travel continents, I make 
my bed in the air — the world is mine ! And what 
possessions does thy typed tongue give, possessions 
fit for the luxurious occupant of a rocking chair 1 I 
scarcely glance at the word " cheap," but leave to 
the sitters on wooden seats the balanced advertise- 
ment of prices. I leap over " cut-nails and brads," 
and scorn the " 14000 lbs. small hams," for " pre- 
serves" from the West Indies, "sparkUng champagne 
and sauterne." "Muscatel raisins" cluster around 
me, and " figs" drop at my feet. Lace, fine as a 
Peri's robe, is thrown over my shoulders, my feet rest 
in satin slippers, pearls are on my neck, the bird of 
the air is stripped to fan me, the beast of the wilder- 



212 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ness to clothe me. " Chickering & Nun's best" are 
vibrating on my ear ; gilt mirrors reflect my polish- 
ed furniture. I almost feel the softness of " French 
handkerchiefs," and the purest blonde lies in folds 
over my brow. How much can a little imagination 
make of a newspaper in a rocking chair ! I some- 
times fancy what will be the compensation for these 
vehicles of thought in a more spiritual state of exist- 
ence. There, perhaps, mind will rush to sympa- 
thetic mind from unknown distances — doubt, if it 
can exist, be answered by whispering spirits almost 
in anticipation — and the speculations, which here 
are surrounded by the mists of earth, be solved in 
words of light and glory, beaming from the fount of 
thought. 

It is a summer's noon ; the light is shut out, except 
where the sweet South steals through that half-open 
window. What a soft drowsiness comes over me, 
as with head thrown back on thy protecting form, 
my rocking chair, objects mingle before me. They 
fade — the vase of flowers, the books, the ornaments 
of my table, the waving curtains, all fade away ; only 
one object remains — a picture by Osgood. Her 
blue eye seems closing, her rich lips soften in their 
serious smile, her white brow darkens, her fair hand 
relaxes from her fairer temples — I see her no more. 
Gone, gone to the land of dreams ! 

Sickness has thrown me into thy kind arms, my 
rocking chair. Tender friends are around me — my 
eye rests on proofs of absent kindness. I know the 
hand that sent that beautiful bouquet. It is the hand 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 213 

that loves to throw flowers on the path of the weak 
or sorrowful, the hand that takes strangers to its bo- 
som, that makes acquaintance feel like friends, and 
friends like brethren. Amid a thousand I would 
say that hand sent those flowers ! God will bless 
that hand ! I love to lean my languid head on thy 
breast, my rocking chair, and inhale the perfume of 
these blossoms, and trace their hues, God's gifts of 
tenderness to man. 

It is twilight ; the cares of the day are over, and 
I return to thee, the rest of my sweet home. Let 
me draw thee nearer to the window, where the dying 
day can give me its last look. The gay laughter 
of those grouped girls will not disturb the repose of 
the hour. Sport on, young ones ! There is time 
enough for you to watch the dying day in sadder 
times. A star advances through the growing gloom, 
and a voice at my side tells its opening thoughts, 
and asks questions of the far-off" sky ; a young form 
rests on my lap, and I feel a hand, affection's own, 
tried, faithful hand, pressing mine. 

It is night, and 

" Friends drop off as leaves forsake the flower," 

the kind good-night is given, the watchman's voice 
announces the hours, an occasional step sounds ring- 
ingly on the pavement. Again I throw myself into 
thy arms, my rocking-chair ; and thou biddest me 
welcome with thy gentle motion. The memory of 
the past day unfolds its wings, and lingers around 
me. Has active goodness been borne on its pinions 1 



214 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

I thank God ; and a pure repose rests on my spirit. 
Are its brooding edges made heavy with sin ? 1 pray 
and weep, and then God soothes me with an answer- 
ed prayer ; and musings come, and as my head 
falls on thee, my rocking-chair, soft visions arise, 
dreams of re-united spirits, and bright hopes that 
daylight scarcely knows. But I must rouse myself 
from these musings, and recall the scenes of yester- 
day. 

I am surprised that more persons do not visit Coop- 
er River now that the facilities for going are so great. 
Until the establishment of a steam-boat, our citizens 
had no opportunity to see a southern harvest, and it 
is truly a surprise to witness those immense tracts of 
land, more extended than the domain of many a feu- 
dal baron, arranged with almost military order and 
neatness ; the golden rice waving beneath the glow- 
ing sun, the beautiful river asking to its smooth sur- 
face the world-worn citizen, the tasteful residences 
scattered at wide distances along its banks, and more 
than all, the stillness of nature, so desirable to those 
whose summer location, like ours, is in the confine- 
ment and bustle of a city. 

I went as far as Mulberry Castle, which is an old 
building on a picturesque spot, erected by one of our 
Governors at an early period of the settlement of 
this country as a defence against the Indians. I 
have never been so struck with earthly possessions 
as with the extent of some of the plantations on 
the river. As the boat flew on and on, and I still 
saw them filling the gaze, I could not but mentally 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 215 

exclaim how much human happiness those planters 
have in their power ! 

Mulberry Castle is a more substantial looking 
building than one can often see of modern workman- 
ship, and its interest within is heightened by quite a 
gallery of old family pictures. As I was examining 
them, a gentleman said to me, here is one which 
bears evidence to the brutality of the British soldie- 
ry. You observe it is a likeness of an American 
officer — one of the dastards in the late war thrust 
his sword through the eye to show his contempt for 
us. 

I am sorry to spoil so good a story, said another ; 
but that feat was performed by a roguish American 
boy, who climbed up and dug out his ancestor's 
eye. 

It was a bright spectacle to see our town's people 
recreating on this romantic spot. Here you might 
view a party with the keen appetite of an irregular 
meal partaking refreshment under a tree ; now a 
white dress, floating among the trees, told of some 
romantic rambler, and again the shout of laughter 
came softened on the ear ; then I heard the sound of 
music, and drawing near, perceived a group singing 
the following Ode, originally composed as a nation- 
al song for the anniversary of our Independence. 

The history of this Lyric is interesting to our com- 
munity. It has been engraved on a silver vase, and 
presented to the author ; on one side is 



.i_„ 



216 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

THE ODE. 

Hail, our country's natal morn, 
Hail, our spreading kindred-born ! 
Hail, thou banner, not yet torn, 

Waving o'er the free! 
While, this day, in festal throng, 
Millions swell the patriot song, 
Shall not we thy notes prolong, 

Hallow'd Jubilee'? 

Who would sever Freedom's shrine ; 
Who would draw th' invidious line ; 
Though by birth one spot be mine, 

Dear is all the rest : 
Dear to me the South's fair land, 
Dear the central mountain-band, 
Dear New England's rocky strand, 

Dear the prairied West. 

By our altars, pure and free, 
By our Law's deep-rooted tree, 
By the past's dread memory. 

By our Washington j 
By our common parent tongue, 
By our hopes, bright, buoyant, young. 
By the tie of country strong. 

We will still be one. 

Fathers ! have ye bled in vain 1 
Ages! must ye droop again 1 
Maker ! shall we rashly stain 

Blessings sent by Thee'? 
No ! receive one solemn vow. 
While before thy throne we bow, 
Ever to maintain, as now, 
Union, Liberty ! 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 217 

On the reverse is the following inscription : 

To the Author 
of the National Ode written 

for the 4th of July, 

The Rev. Samuel Gilman, 

and as a tribute of affectionate respect 

for the Patriot, the Scholar, 

and the Poet, 

the friends of National Union 

have presented 

This Vase, 

Charleston, S. C. 

The Vase was wrought and engraved in Charleston, 
and is chaste and elegant ; while the Ode, adapted to 
the tune " Scots wha Jiae," is sung annually at the 
celebration of the 4th of July. 

I was attracted by the crow-minders as we passed 
the plantations ; they are chosen from the young or 
infirm, and have a picturesque air in their extended 
solitude. They are kept in the fields all day, having 
no actual labour to perform ; others go away when 
their tasks are ended. The crows know their voices, 
and wheel off at the sound without alighting. 

It may excite a smile that I should find poetry in 
a crow -minder, but I make a faithful record : 

THE CROW-MINDER OF THE SOUTH. 

Alone, amid the far- spread field he stands, 
Heaven's arch above, an amphitheatre 
Of woods around. Wide his domain, and fair ; 
But no companionship hath he, for he 
Must scare the very birds away, whose notes 
Are meet for company. 
19 



218 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

The Mocking bird, 
Herald or partner of his walk, must leave 
Him here ; nor shall he list again its note, 
'Till, warbling near his lowly hut, the bird 
Pours forth orchestral tones ambitiously, 
At midnight hour, upon his drowsy ear. 

The Lizard, creeping on the blighted tree. 
The lazy Worm, unearthing its slow length. 
The Ant, which builds its sandy monument. 
The Butterfly, a passing traveller, 
And e'en the Snake, that shines in motlied hues, 
Or Frog, retreating from the burning sand. 
Or shining Beetle, will he welcome now. 

Few are his cares, nor irksome his employ. 
Just far enough remov'd to watch his prey, 
His bird-trap tempting lies — the Oriole there, 
The Goldfinch, Wax-bird, and hke forms of grace, 
He snares, to gain a trifle for the prize. 
The prison of the finny race he weaves ; 
Or, on his basket's growing plaits he toils, 
Counts o'er his gains, and whistles out his joy. 

The forest trees, that stand like centinels. 
Send out a murmur pleasant to the ear. 
The Turtle Dove, that seems to mourn, but whose 
Low tone is whisper'd tenderness, is there. 
From thence the venturous Ground-Pigeon comes. 
And with a little band of feathered friends 
Steals cautious to the rice-fields' tempting range, 
When, faithful to his charge, the " minder" shouts, 
With arms uprais'd, and frighted they retire. 

There the Blue-Jay, the " feather'd harlequin," 
Trims his rich crest and pipes his mimic song: 
While, hidden mid damp brakes, the Cuckoo's note 
With harsh riionotony assails the ear. 
There the Woodpecker, busy Epicure, 
Bores with his beak the insect's barky home. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 219 

Affrights them with his feign'd but startling cry, 
Then coolly riots with his darting tongue, 
And taps at intervals the hollow tree. 

But the field-minder, idly busy, heeds 
Nor knows the sounds sweet to the Poet's ear; 
Tho', when the Crow's coarse note is nearer heard. 
And his dark form wheels o'er the sunny field. 
Or varied pilferers, glide with stealthy wing, 
In softer guise, to rob the planter's toil, 
Then lifts he high again his warning voice, 
And waves his tawny arms, and beats the air, 
While the foil'd plunderers turn in circling flight, 
And seek the forest's screening shades again. 

What are his thoughts, that lone one, as the Sun 
O'er-tops the pines, and wakes the woods to joy '? 
What are his thoughts, when thro' the long, long blaze 
Of summer's noon, he sits in solitude 1 
Right glad is he, when the dark laborer comes, 
With hoe upon his arm— his task well done. 
And gives a passing greeting to the boy. 
Full glad to see the mastiff from the chase 
Run with his whining welcome ; and willingly, 
With passing negro, or with truant dog, 
Shares the plain food, cook'd near his blighted tree. 

Think not the boy is vacant in his mood ; 
He muses on relationship and friends ; 
He plans the evening game, the sabbath prayer. 
He learns from nature's volumes lessons true. 
Foretells the storm, the harvest too — and things 
Tliat 'scape the world's philosophy, he knows. 
There, more than in the city's jostling throng. 
He feels a present Diety. The moon. 
Flooding his homeward track with gentle rays. 
Looks in his bosom on a sky-bound soul ; 
And the far stars, those light-houses of heaven. 
Tell him of hopes beyond their glittering sheen. 



220 NOTES OF A SOUTIIEEN EXCURSION. 

As we returned, a passenger undertook to teach 
us a German glee. The whole company assembled 
on deck, and entered into the spirit of the occasion. 
I must confess there was more laughter than music. 
Our entertainer was a foreigner ; we Americans, 
coolly calculating how far we may go without com- 
promising our dignity, may well copy that social 
impulse which forgets itself in the thought of pleas- 
ing others. 

We reached town just as an early moon was light- 
ing up St. Michael's spire. 

And yet people rush off to the North and West, 
unconscious of the attractions around us ; but that 
belongs to human nature. I know those who live 
within a f^ew days' journey of Niagara, who hurry off 
to Europe without even hearing the roar of its waters, 
and will enter with great complacence in their jour- 
nals accounts of lakes and streams that would seem 
like a spoonfull compared to our giant torrents. 



THE PLANTATION ON ASHLEY RIVER. 

A BALLAD. 



19* 



CHATSWORTH, ASHLEY RIVER. 

The following simple but minute picture of South- 
ern country life, written in the quiet of the scene it 
describes, may not be uninteresting to those who 
are not familiar with our local circumstances. Pro- 
bably the whole circle of romance cannot furnish 
sadder spectacles than those which arise from the 
unfitness of our low-country residences to the New- 
England constitution ; yet yearly victims are renew- 
ed. The white men who do survive on our planta- 
tions, look cadaverous and unhealthy. 

THE PLANTATION ON ASHLEY RIVER. 

A BALLAD, — PART FIRST. 

Farewell, awhile, the city's hum, 

Where busy footsteps fall, 
And welcome to my weary eye 

The Planter's friendly Hall. 

Here let me rise at early dawn, 
And list the mock-bird's lay, 

As warbling near our lowland home 
He waves the bending spray. 

Then tread the shading avenue, 

Beneath the Cedar's gloom. 
Or Gum tree with its flicker'd shade, 

Or Chinquapen's perfume. 



224 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION, 

The Myrtle tree, the Orange wild, 
The Cypress' flexile bough, 

The Holly, with its polish'd leaves 
Are all before me now. 

There, towering with imperial pride, 
The rich Magnolia stands, 

And here in softer loveliness, 

The white bloom'd Bay expands. 

The long gray moss hangs gracefully ; 

Idly I twine its wreaths. 
Or stop to catch the fragrant air, 

The frequent blossom breathes. 

Life wakes around — ^the red bird darts 
Like flame from tree to tree ; 

The whip-poor-will complains alone, 
The Robin whistles free. 

The frighten'd Hare scuds by my path, 
And seeks the thicket nigh ; 

The Squirrel climbs the Hickory bough, 
And peeps with careful eye. 

The Humming-bird with busy wing 
In rainbow beauty moves ; 

Above the trumpet-blossom floats, 
And sips the tube he loves. 

Triumphant to yon wither'd pine, 
The soaring Eagle flies, 

There builds her eyrie mid the clouds, 
And man and heaven defies. 

The hunter's bugle echoes near, 
And see, his wary train, 

With mingled bowlings scent the woods, 
Or scour the open plain. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 225 

Yon skiff is darting from the cove; 

And list the negro's song, 
The theme, his owner and his boat, 

While glide the ci-ew along. 

And when the leading voice is lost, 

Receding from the shore, 
His brother boatmen swell the strain. 

In chorus with the oar. 

There stands the dairy on the stream, 

Within the broad oak's shade, 
The white pails glitter in the sun, 

In rustic pomp array'd. 

And she stands smiling at the door, 

Who minds that milky way, 
She smoothes her apron as I pass, 

And loves the praise I pay. 

Welcome to me her sable hands, 

When, in the noontide heat, 
Within the polish'd calibash 

She pours the pearly treat. 

The poulterer's feather'd tender charge 

Feed on the grassy plain : 
Her Afric brow lights up with smiles, 
Proud of her noisy train. 

Nor does the herdsman view his flock 

With unadmiring gaze, 
Significant are all their names, 

Won by their varying ways. 

Forth from the Negroes' humble huts 
The labourers now have gone ; 

But some remain, diseas'd and old — 
Do they repine alone 1 



226 KOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Ah, no. The nurse, with practis'd skill, 
That sometimes shames the wise. 

Prepares the herb of potent power, 
And healing aid applies. 

While seated at his hut's low door, 

The convalescent slave 
Gazes upon his garden store, 

And sees the young corn wave. 

On sunny banks his children play, 

Or wind the fisher's line, 
Or, with the dext'rous fancy-braid, 

Their willow baskets twine. 

Long ere the sloping sun departs, 
The labourers quit the field, 

And, hous'd within their sheltering huts. 
To careless quiet yield. 

But see, yon wild and lurid clouds. 
That rush in contact strong, 

And hear the thunder, peal on peal. 
Reverberate along. 

The cattle stand and mutely gaze, 

The birds instinctive fly, 
"While forked flashes rend the air, 

And light the troubled sky. 

Behold yon sturdy forest pine, 

Whose green top points to heaven. 

A flash ! its firm, encasing bark, 
By that red shock is riven. 

But we, the children of the south, 
Shrink not with trembling fears ; 

The storm familiar to our youth, 
Will spare our ripen'd years. 



KOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 227 

We know its fresh, reviving charm, 

And, like the flower and bird, 
Our looks and voices, in each pause, 

With grateful joy are stirr'd. 

And now the tender rice up-shoots, 

Fresh in its hue of green, 
Spreading its emerald carpet far 

Beneath the sunny sheen. 

Tho' when the softer ripen'd hue 

Of autumn's changes rise. 
The rustling spires instinctive lift 

Their gold seeds to the skies. 

There the young cotton plant unfolds 

Its leaves of sickly hue, 
' But soon advancing to its growth, 
Looks up with beauty too. 

And as midsummer suns prevail, 

Upon its blossoms glow 
Commingling hues, like sunset rays — 

Then bursts its sheeted snow. 

How shall we fly this lovely spot, 

Where rural joys prevail. 
The social board, the eager chase, 

Gay dance and merry tale 1 

Alas ! our youth must leave their sports 

When spring-time ushers May ; 
Our maidens quit the planted flower. 

Just blushing into day ; 

Or, all beneath yon rural mound. 

Where rest th' ancestral dead. 
By mourning friends, with sever'd hearts, 

Unconscious will be led. 



228 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Oh, Southern summer, false and fair! 

Why from thy loaded wing, 
Blent with rich flowers and fruitage rare, 

The seeds of sorrow fling *? 



PART SECOND. 

THE OVERSEER'S CHILDREN. 

Three fleeting years have come and gone 

Since Ann Pomroy I met, 
Returning from the district school, 

Ere yet the sun was set. 

With her, her brother Francis stray'd, 

And, both in merry tone. 
Were saying all the rambling things 

Youth loves when tasks are done. 

The mountain tinge was on their cheeks ; 

From fair Vermont they came, 
For wandering habits led their sire 

A southern home to claim. 

Fresh with the airy spring of youth 
They tripp'd the woods along, 

Now dartnig off to cull a'flower. 
Now bursting into song. 

Oh, Ann Pomroy, thy sparkling eye 

Methinks I often see, 
When some young face, in loveliness, 

Beams up in smiles to mc. 

And when light i-ounds of boyish mirth 
Laugh out unchecked by fear, 

It seems to me that Francis' voice 
Is floating on my ear. 



?fOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION, 229 

I said the hue of heaUh they bore,— 

Her's was the nect'rine fair, 
And his the deep pomegranite tinge, 

That boys of beauty wear. 

They walk'd at early morn and eve, 

And as I yearly paid 
My visit to the Planter's Hall, 

I saw the youth and maid. 

At first, by simple accident 

I came upon their walk ; 
But soon I lov'd to pause, and seek 

The privilege of talk — 

Until my steps were daily turn'd, 

But how I scarce can say, 
When Ann and Francis carne from school, 

To meet them on the way. 

They told me of New-England hills, 

Of orchards in the sun, 
Of sleigh-rides with the merry bells, 

Of skating's stirring fun ; 

And sometimes of a grave they spake. 

And then wovld sadder grow, 

In which a gentle mother slept 

Beneath the wintry snow. 
***** 

When April's changing face was seen. 

Again from town I flew, 
To where the sleep of nature wakes 

To sights and odours new. 

All things were fair— the plants of earth 

Look'd upward to the sky. 
And the blue heaven o'erarch'd them still 

With clear and glittering eye. 
20 



230 NOTES OF A SOUTHERX EXCURSION. 

I sought the walk I us'd to seek, 

And took the little store 
Of toys, that from the city's mart 

For Ann and Frank T bore. 

A rustling in the leaves I heard, 

But Francis only came, 
His eye was dim, his cheek was pale, 

And agues shook his frame. 

He saw me — to my open amis 
With sudden gladness sprang; 

Then rais'd a thrilling cry of grief. 
With which the forest rang. 

Few words he spake, but led me on 
To where a grave-like mound, 

With young spring plants and ever-greens, 
In rural taste were crown'd. 

And there he stood, while gushing tears 
Like summer rain-drops came, 

And heavings, as a troubled sea, 
Went o'er his blighted frame. 

I did not ask him who was there, 

1 felt that Ann was gone. 
Around his drooping neck I hung, 

And stood like him forlorn. 

" I soon shall die," the mourner said, 

" Here will they make my grave, 
And over me the Cedar trees 
And moaning Pines will wave. 

None then will come to tend the flowers 

That blossom o'er her bed ; 
None sing for her the twilight dirge 

When I am with the dead. 



^-OTES OF A SOUTUERN EXCURSION. 231 

I cannot join the school-boy sports 

My head and heart are sad ; 
When Ann is in the silent grave, 

Oh, how can I be glad 7 

And when I say my studied tasks, 

Or gain the once-loved prize, 
I weep, and softly pray to Heaven 

To lay me where she lies.'' 

I kissed his pale and suffering brow, 

By early sorrows riven ; 
I talk'd to him of her he lov'd, 

And rais'd his thoughts to Heaven. 

And when the call of duty came, 

To take me from his side, 

He told me, with a sickly smile, 

" 'Twas best that Ann had died." 
***** 

Another annual season rolUd 

Its cares and joys along — 
Again I sought the country's charms, 

Deep woods and caroll'd song. 

And there 1 found two silent graves 

Amid the vernal bloom — 
I ne'er shall see those forms again, 

'Till Heaven unseals the tomb. 

Oh, Southern summer, false and fair, 

Why, on thy loaded wing, 
Blent with rich flowers and fruitage rare, 

The seeds of sorrow bring 1 

I have raised my chamber window to admit the 
odour of morning, and the song of a mocking-bird, 
which has been varying its multiplied notes, like the 



232 NOTES OF A SOUTHERPf EXCURSION. 

tints on the early sky. This exquisite songster has en- 
joyed frequent and various homage, but I have never 
met a tribute so beautiful as one from a Charleston 
poet. Except that he is chary of his song, he might 
be fancied to be the prototype of our Phoebus of the 
forest. Those who read the following lines will feel 
their rich Miltonian flow, and doubt not the "poetry 
of travelling at the South, if it unfolds such scenes 
and creates such genius. 

A SOUTHERN SCENE. 

The scene which most delighted me in youth 

Was round me still — A broad and winding lane, 

Its natui'ed carpeting, of emerald 

'Broidered with flowers of a thousand hues — 

The wild rose clusterino- with the jessamine, 

In beautiful confusion, quite shut out 

The world and its entanglements — above, 

The loveliest of the southern forest, formed 

Meet roof for such a temple, from the oak 

Rejoicing in its never-fading green, 

And huge fantastic limbs — to the slight myrtle 

Studded with bright blossoms — here and there 

A lofty sycamore would raise its head, 

Most fearful of the woodland, last to trust 

To the soft wooings of the smiling spring. 

And first to cast its foliage to the ground. 

Before the bi-eath of winter — but when high 

The sun rides in his summer majesty, 

Proudly the laggai-d Sycamore puts on 

Its garniture of silvery green, and waves 

Its crisp leaves to the zephyrs, with a sound 

Like murmurs of far waters — It was summer, 

A Carolinian summer, — when the eye 

Shrinks dazzled from the blue of the clear Heavens, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 233 

Unless, as now, it falls upon the sight. 

Flickering the waving verdure — Nor did lack 

Sweet music to the magic of the scene. . 

The little crimson-breasted nonpareil 

Was there, its tiny feet scarce bending down 

The silken tendril, that he lighted on 

To pour his love-notes, — and in russet coat 

Most homely, like true genius bursting forth 

In spite of adverse fortune, a full choir 

Within himself, the merry mock-bird sate 

Filling the air with melody — and at times 

In the rapt fervour of his sweetest song 

His quivering form would spring into the sky 

In spiral circles, as if he would catch 

New powers froiji kindred warblers in the clouds. 



20* 



MARY ANNA GIBBES, 



THE HEROINE OF STONO. 



ST. PAUL'S PARISH, STONO RIVER. 

Every year that rolls away will add a new charm 
to travelling in the United States, for even where the 
scenery has no attraction, the hand of genius, busy 
as that of old Mortality, will be clearing up the re- 
cords of our national story, and bringing to light 
names hidden by the gathered moss of time. How 
little did I ever care for this uninteresting stream, 
until it was associated with the name of Mary Anna 
Gibbes ! Now it is crowded with vivid associations. 
Our poets and painters have a glorious field before 
them ! Already the graphic touch of Simms has 
filled our Southern woods and plains with beings, 
that, like the mythology of the ancients, give a tongue 
to inanimate nature. 

The authentic anecdote connected with this por- 
tion of the country which now occupies my thoughts, 
is recorded by Major Garden. It is poetry itself 
without the aid of measured words, but I should be 
glad if I could make our young Carolina heroine 
known even to one individual. Colonel Fenwick, 
distinguished in the war of 1812, was the person 
saved. 



238 NOTES OF A SOUTHER?? EXCURSION. 

MARY ANNA GIBBES ; 

THE YOUNG HEROINE OF STONO, S. C. 

Stono, on thy still banks 
The roar of war is heard ; its thunders swell 
And shake yon mansion where domestic love 
Till now breathed simple kindness to the heart ; 
Where white-arm 'd childhood twined the neck of age, 
Where hospitable cares lit up the hearth, 
Cheering the lonely traveller on his way. 

A foe inhabits there, and they depart, 
The infima old man, and his fair household too, 
Seeking another home. — Home ! Who can tell 
The touching power of that most sacred word. 
Save he who feels and weeps that he has none 1 

Among that group of midnight exiles, fled 
Young Mary Anna, on whose youthful cheek 
But thirteen years had kindled up the rose. 
A laughing creature, breathing heart and love. 
Yet timid as the fawn in southern wilds. 
E'en the night-reptile on the dewy grass 
Startled the maiden, and the silent stars, 
Looking so still from out their cloudy home, 
Troubled her mind. No time was ihere for gauds 
And toilette art, in this quick flight of fear; 
Her glossy hair, damp'd by the midnight winds, 
Lay on her neck dishevelled ; gathered round 
Her form in hurried folds clung her few garments ; 
Now a quick thrilling sob, half grief, half dread, 
Came bursting from her heart, — and now her eyes 
Glar'd forth, as peal'd the cannon ; then beneath 
Their drooping lids, sad tears redundant flowed. 

But sudden mid the group a cry arose, 
" Fenwick ! where is he *?" None returned reply, 
But a sharp piei'cing glance went out, around, 
Keen as a mother's towards her infant child 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 239 

When sudden danger lowers, and then a shriek 
From one, from all burst forth—" He is not here !" 
Poor boy, he slept, nor crash of hurrying guns, 
Nor impious curses, nor the warrior's shout 
Awoke his balmy rest ! He dreamt such dreams 
As float round childhood's couch, of angel s face 
Peering throagh,clouds ;— of sunny rivulets. 
Where the fresh streams flow rippling on, to waft 
A tiny sail ; — and of his rabbits white, 
With eyes of ruby, and his tender fawn's 
Long delicate limbs, light tread, and graceful neck. 
He slept unconscious. — Who shall wake that sleep 
All shrink, for now th' artillery louder roars ; — 
The frightened slaves crouch at their master's side, 
And he, infirm and feeble, scarce sustains 
His sinking weight. 

There was a pause, a hush 
So deep, that one could hear the forest leaves j 
Flutter and drop before the war-gun's peal. 
Then forward stood that girl, young Mary Ann, 
The tear dried up upon her cheek, the sob 
Crushed down, and in that high and lofty tone 
Which sometimes breathes of woman in the child, 
She said, " He shall not die"— and turned aloTie. 

Alone 1 oh gentle girlhood, not alone 
Art thou, if ONE, watching above, will guard 
Thee on thy way. 

Clouds shrouded up the stars ;— 
On — on she sped, the gun's broad glare her guide ! 
The wolf-growl sounded near, — on — onward still; 
The forest trees like warning spirits moaned, — 
She pressed her hand against her throbbing heart, 
But faltered not. The whizzing shot went by, 
Scarce heeded went — Pass'd is a weary mile 
With the light step a master-spirit gives 
On duty's road, and she has reached her home. 
Her home — is this her home at whose fair gate 



240 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Stern foes in silence stand to bar her way *? 
That gate, whicli from her infant childhood leap'd 
On its wide hinges, glad at her return 1 
Before the sentinels she trembling stood, 
And with a voice, whose low and tender tones 
Rose like the ring-dove's in midsummer storms, 
She said, 

'^ Please let me pass, and seek a child, 
Who, in my father's mansion has been left 
Sleeping, unconscious of the danger near." 

While thus she spake, a smile incredulous 
Stole o'er the face of one, — the other cursed 
And barr'd her from the way. 

" Oh, sirs," she cried, 
While from her upraised eyes the tears stream'd down, 
And her small hands were clasp'd in agony, 
" Drive me not hence, I pray. Until to-night 
I dared not stray beyond my nurse's side 
In the dim twilight ; yet I now have come 
Alone, unguarded, this far dreary mile, 
By darkness unappalled ; — a simple worm 
Would often fright my heart, and bid it beat ; 
But now I've heard the wild wolf's angry howl 
With soul undaunted— till to-night I've shrunk 
From men; — and soldiers ! scarcely dared I look 
Upon their glittering arms ; — but here I come 
And sue to you, men, warriors ; — drive me not 
Away. He whom I seek is yet a child, 
A prattling boy; and must he, must he diel 
Oh, if you love your children, let me pass. — 
You will not 1 Then my strength and hope are gone. 
And I shall perish ere I reach my friends." 

And then she press'd her brow, as if those hands , 
So soft and small, could still it throbbing pulse. 
The sentinels looked calmly on, like men 
Whose blades had toyed with sorrow, and made sport 
Of woe. One step the maiden backward took, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 241 

Lingering in thought, then hope, like a soft flush 
Of struggling twilight, kindled in her eyes. 
She knelt before them, and re-urged her plea. 

*• Perchance you have a sister, sir, or you, 
A poor young thing like me ; if she were here, 
Kneeling like me before mij countrymen. 
They would not spurn her thus." 

" Go, girl, — pass on " — 
The softened voice of one replied, nor was 
She checked, nor waited she to hear repulse, 
But darted through the avenue, attained 
The hall, and springing up the well-known stairs 
With such a flight as the young eagle takes 
To gain its nest, she reached the quiet couch, 
Where, in bright dreams, th' unconscious sleeper lay. 
Slight covering o'er the rescued boy she threw, 
And caught him in her arms. He knew that cheek, 
Kiss'd it half-waking, then around her neck 
His hands entwined, and dropp'd to sleep again. 

She bore him onward, dreading now for him 
The shot that whizz'd along, and tore the earth 
In fragments by her side. She reached the guards. 
Who silent op'd the gate, — then hurried on. 
But as she pass'd them, from her heart burst forth— 
'* God bless you, gentlemen !" then urged her way ; 
Those arms, whose heaviest load and task had been 
To poise her doll, and wield her childhood's toys, 
Bearing the boy along the dangerous road. 
Voices at length she hears — her friends are near. 
They meet, and yielding up her precious charge, 
She sinks upon her father's breast, in doubt 
'Twixt smiles and tears. 



21 



FORT MOULTRIE 



OR 



SULLIVAN'S ISLAND. 



G 



SULLIVAN'S ISLAND. 



"t^^lS. is a wild and uncultivated spot, desirable 
only for its patriotic associations, and the sea-breeze 
that brings health in its current. For about two 
months in midsummer the public boarding-house is 
thronged ; now, at the close of August, I am quite 
alone. 

The steam-boat has its afternoon crowds, but they 
only ramble on the beach, and return to the city. 
The aspect of the individuals hurrying thither for 
health or pleasure, and the historical recollections 
of the scene, have induced me to beguile my lone- 
liness by embodying my thoughts in lines adapted to 
the tune of The Emerald Isle, 

HURRAH FOR SULLIVAN'S ISLE ! 

Our Fair Steamer cuts swiftly the wave, 

And her smoke tells our track on the sky, 
As we steer where the noble and brave 
Once assembled to conquer and die ! 
And still hallow'd to us is the spot, 

Where Liberty first gave her smile, 
Nor be the Palmetto Fort ever forgot 
As we gather to Sullivan's Isle- 
Then Hurrah for our Sullivan's Isle! 

Hurrah for our Sullivan's Isle ! 
Nor be the Palmetto Fort ever forgot, 
As we gather to Sullivan's Isle ! 
-^* 



246 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Oh, Fair Steamer, be true on our seas, 

For the gentle and lovely are here. 
The wan infant revives at the breeze, 

And the young mother wipes off her tear. 
"When thou bearest the aged and young, 

To where health brings its ravishing smile, 
Let not the Palmetto Fort e'er be unsung. 
As we gather to Sullivan's Isle ! 

Then Hurrah for our Sullivan's Isle ! 

Hurrah for our Sullivan's Isle ! 
Let n,ot the Palmetto Fort e'er be unsung, 
As we gather to Sullivan's Isle. 



There are two churches on the island, connected 
with the Presbyterian and Episcopal persuasions. 
I was one of twelve worshippers at the latter this 
morning. There is something deeply impressive in 
the low murmurs of the summer ocean mingling in 
with man's tones of penitence and thanksgiving, 
while the waves, the winds, the flowers, the birds 
speak their language of natural joy. 

THOUGHTS AT GRACE CHURCH, 
SULLIVAN'S ISLAND. 

Praise is around ! 
The bounding waves swell on. 

Giving their rushing voices to their God, 
And ere, commingling with the deep, they've gone, 
Throw incense- foam abroad, 
"With solemn sound. 

Praise on the winds ! 
Borne on their countless tongues, 

They tell the story of creative power, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 247 

While the wild music of their sacred songs, 
In many a shrub and flower 
A listener finds. 

Praise from the flower ! 
Tho' few and scatter'd here, 

Yet even here, among these sands they bloom ; 
Like pious thoughts, when hearts are bleak and drear, 
To heaven they give their color and perfume, 
Their innocent dower. 

Praise from the bird ! 
The garden songster wakes 

His long, rich notes of Sabbath minstrelsy — 
His stealthy step the white crane lightly takes, 
And the wild curlew floats on quietly, 
With wing scarce stirr'd. 

Praise from my soul ! 
By holy prayer upborne, 

Come hither, Faith, that seeks the Deity, 
And Penitence, of earthly trappings shorn. 
And her best partner, gentle Charity, 
Me still control. 

My prayer is this : 
Though toss'd on time's dark sea. 

That 1 may reach at length that blessed shore. 
Where waveless, passionless, yet free. 
The tumult of the world all o'er, 
We rest in bliss. 
****** 

Though there is something stimulating to the frame 
and exciting to the spirits in an ocean day-scene, 
the heart is subdued by the wave-dash that returns 
again and again in darkness ; there is a supernatural 



248 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

brightness in the stars, gemming their far and wide 
canopy ; and the waters, tinged by moon-beams, seem 
like deathly upturned faces. It is late. I am lone- 
ly, and as I gaze on Charleston, where all I love re- 
pose, I feel an awe and tremor as if its distant spires 
could tell me secrets of its few wild wakeful, or thou- 
sand unconscious dreaming ones. 

She sleeps, my own fair city, and the moon 
Looks down with guardian eyes, as clear and still 
As a fond mother's o'er her infant child — 
As still — as wakeful. How profound her sleep ! 

The Light-house fire burns on, emblem of Him 
Who rests not 'mid the slumbering, but on high 
Holds his bright torch o'er yet uncounted worlds. 
Peace is around in nature — peace and joy ! 
Scarcely a cloud is seen save one, which like 
A veil o'er beauty, lends a softer ray 
To heaven's bright eyes, that look out through the stars, 
"While the west wind, in gentle breezes, sweeps 
The gentle wave. 

How distant, yet how near, 
Seems the great city — neax-, for I have heard 
The sounding bell when the tenth hour was toll'd; — 
Near, for I see the fading lights retire, 
As one by one men seek oblivious rest. 
The old man goes to sleep through dreamless hours, 
Unless perchance a thought of youth steals in 
And opens the far past ; — and childhood sleeps, 
Its light breast heaving like the young pine tops. 
Some sink upon their pillow, tired of life, 
And heavily lie down to shut their eyes 
On earth's cold vanities ; some, haunted by 
Fierce crimes, toss on a restless couch, and sigh 
For breaking morn ; some, bless'd with virtue's meed, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 249 

A happy heart, close their soft lids, and dream 
Of good deeds done and blessings yet in store. 

And is crime brooding now o'er that still scene, 
Active and eager, in these tranquil hours 1 
Oh, may heaven shield thee, city of my heart — 
Home of my household — where my dead repose ! 
God guard the living — would that I could hear 
Their sleeping breath, and bless them as they lie! 
The dead need not my blessing — safe are they. 

How/ft/' she seems, the city of my love! 
The kindling spark might wrap her towers in flame, 
And my weak voice sound faint as insect's wing 
When thunder shakes the air ! 

My yearning soul 
Looks towards her, as the fluttering bird that leaves 
Its mother's nest too soon, and pants for home. 
Oh, I am lonely in this midnight scene. 
God guard the sleepers— I will go and pray. 



A SOUTHERN SKETCH; 

BY 

MARY ELIZABETH *LEE. 



A SOUTHERN SKETCH. 

The following lines from a delicate and favorite 
pen are so touchingly descriptive of a local scene of 
actual occurrence, as to seem happily adapted to the 
Poetry of Travelling : 

A SOUTHERN SKETCH. 

BY MARY E, LEE, 

There was a hush of silence ! — the lone room 
Was darken'd to a soft and dreamy light ; 
The morning beam look'd in, yet seem'd to shun 
A spot so chill and noiseless : the Spring gale 
Breath'd, as it pour'd its wealth of gather'd sweets, 
A low and thrilling music; and the flowers, 
Fresh from Earth's sunny pastures, bloom'd around, 
And shed a balmy fragrance o'er the scene. 
The dead was there ! not in the sable pall 
And stern and rigid aspect, that would haunt 
In after-days the living, but the dead 
So altogether lovely, that it seem'd 
Clad in its spotless robes, as if just deck'd 
To be the bride of Heaven. Time had trac'd 
No line upon her brow, and Death stood by 
With weak and nerveless arm, as if he fear'd 
To mar a thing so perfect. There she lay — 
She of the glossy locks and pale-rose cheek, 
With lips half clos'd, and eyelids softly seal'd, 
Like one, who in some blissful vision hears 
22 



254 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

A strain of seraph mvisic. On her breast 
Her hands were meekly folded, while beneath, 
The heart lay still, as if it joy'd to know 
Its labours all were o'er. 

A faltering step is heard ; and with his frame 
Tottering 'neath weight of days, comes slowly on, 
Leaning upon his staflf, a dark-brow'd man, 
Who counted more than fourscore years on earth. 
Mysterious thoughts weigh on him ; and he moves 
With wowdering gaze, a trembling, awe-struck one, 
Towards that fragile being. They had sought 
By gestures strong and oft-repeated words. 
To nerve him for the conflict ; yet in vain — 
In vain ! For to his lock'd and prison'd mind 
The silvery key is broken ; age hath cast 
A mildew o'er his senses. There he stands 
As if entranc'd. Towards the flowers he turns ; 
And now strong sympathies are waking up 
In his benighted bosom. He it was, 
That long had rear'd and cherish'd them with care, 
And hail'd the gladdening sunbeam, and the shower 
That added to their beauty and their bloom. 
And now he passes on with stealthy tread. 
To gaze on that fair being, who was wont 
To bid him always welcome; and did look 
So graceful and benign, when with meek smile 
He tender'd the young blossoms, deeming well 
That they shone brighter in her fairy hand. 
He gazes on her with a vacant eye ; 
Until at last the startling truth comes home 
To his bewilder'd bosom ; then with brow 
Knit to a fearful sternness, and his breast 
Heaving and stirr'd with agony of thought, 
He kneels in speechless wo. and seems to doubt 
The hand that could have pluck'd a flower so bright 
From Love's most cherish'd bower. Now 't is past. 
The fever-dream is gone!— he breathes again— 



NOTES OF A SOUTHEKN EXCURSION. 255 

Each chilling doubt has vanish'd ; and a beam 
Of Faith lights up the darkness of his soul. 
He lifts his amis to Heaven, and kindling prayer 
Lends a pure lustre to his ebon brow ; 
Then humbly bows before Aer, as if mov'd 
To do the pale dust homage ; then with look 
More eloquent than words, he turns away ; 
And leaves the peaceful sleeper with her God. 



THE BLIND NEGRO COMMUNICANT. 

A SKETCH FROM LIFE, 
BY MARY E. LEE, 

The Saviour's feast was spread. Group after group 
From Z ion's scattering band, now silent throng'd 
Around the sacred table, glad to pay 
(As far as sinful, erring men can pay) 
Their debt of gratitude, and share anew 
The plain memorials of his dying love. 
All ranks were gather'd there. The rich and poor: 
The ignorant and wise ; the tear-wet soul, 
And the glad spirit yet in sunshine clad ; 
All, with their many hopes, and cares and griefs, 
Sought, quiet and unmarked, their 'customed place, 
And still at the full banquet there was room.— 
It was a solemn season ; and I sat 
Wrapt in a cloud of thought, until a slow 
And measured footstep fell upon my ear ; 
And when I turned to look, an aged man 
Of threescore years and ten appeared to view. 
It was the blind Communicant ! He came, 
Led by a friendly hand, and took his place 
Nearest the table, with a reverent air. 
As if he felt the spot was holy ground- 
There was a perfect hush ! — The hour was come !- 
The symbols were disclosed, and soon they rose 



256 KOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSIO:!?. 

The sweet tones of the sheperd of the flock, 

Telling once more the story of the Cross ; 

And as he spoke, in sympathy 1 gazed 

Upon the blind old pilgrim by my side. 

The sight was touching ! As the Pastor taught, 

In accents all subdued, how Jesus bore 

The flight of friends, the stern denial-vow, 

The spear, the thorns, the agonizing cross, 

With want, shame, persecution, torture, death, 

The old man shook, convulsed ; his ebon brow 

Grew pallid in its hue ; a few big tears 

Ran trickling down his cheek, and from his lip 

Methought there came the words, " Lord^ is it I?" 

But when there stole upon each listening ear 

And throbbing heart, that prayer of matchless love, 

That type and watch-word for all after-prayer, 

" Father, forgive them !" then he clasp'd his hands, 

And bowing his hoar head upon his breast, 

Wept, even as a weaned child might weep. 

There was a change ! The bread and wine we 
brought, 
He wiped the gushing drops from his thin cheek, 
Bowed solemnly — received them both — then paused — 
Till, i-aising his dull eye-balls up to heaven, 
As asking for God's blessing on the rite, 
He broke the bread, I'eceived the goblet close 
Within his wither'd hands ; restored it safe ; — 
Then, while a peaceful smile illum'd his face, 
Sank back as in an ecstacy of bliss. 
The parting hymn was sung, and oft I paus'd 
And stopped to listen, as the old man's voice, 
Broken and shrill, sought too to mingle in 
With modulated tones, and though his lip 
Utter'd no music, yet I joyed to know 
The heart was all link'd-melody within. 
Christ's seal was stamp'd anew upon each soul ; 
The solemn rite was finished, and the band. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 257 

Warmed to each kindly touch of human love, 

Moved, full of thoughtful cheerfulness, along 

The quiet church-yard, where gay sunbeams danced 

On the white marble tombs, and bright flowers made 

A pleasant home for Death ; while 'mongst them all 

The blind Communicant went groping on 

Along his midnight path. The sight was sad ! 

My heart yearn'd for him — and I longed for power 

To say, as the disciples said of old, 

" Blind man! receive thy siglit," — and in the might 

Of strong compassion, I could e'en, methought, 

Have entered his dark prison-house awhile 

And let him gaze in turn, on the blue skies. 

And the glad sunshine, and the laughing earth. 

But soon I owned a sense of higher things, 

And in the heart's soft dialect I said, 

" Old soldier of the Cross, 'tis well with thee ! 

Thy warfare is nigh finished ; and though Earth 

Be but an utter blank, yet soon thou 'It gaze 

On that bright country where thy God shall be 

The never-setting Sun ; and Christ, thy Lord, 

Will lead thee through green pastures, where the still 

And living waters play. And though thou art 

A creature lonely and unpriz'd by men, 

Yet thou mayst stand a Prince 'mongst Princes, when 

The King makes up his jewels !" 



SOUTHERN LOCAL SKETCH. 

ST. John's parish. 
A young Greek remarked to me, on a recent drive 
to this portion of the country, that he had seen no- 
thing since he left his native land so beautiful and 
affecting in natural scenery, as the gray moss wav- 
ing in wild decoration on the trees near the old 
church at Goose-Creek. It is worth while for the 
22* 



258 NOTES OF A SOUTIIERX EXCURSION. 

traveller to turn aside and pause at this ruin, which 
was erected about 1707. The fences are broken 
down, the grave-stones defaced, and every object 
shows marks of decay ; still there are thoughts con- 
nected with St. James's Church in its romantic soli- 
tude and dilapidation, that many minds would not 
exchange for the trim finish of a city edifice. A 
friend entered the broken window, and opened the 
door for us. — There are four arched windows, two 
of them with a cherub in stucco on each key-stone. 
Over one door a Pelican is represented feeding her 
young. The Decalogue, Apostle's Creed, and Lord's 
Prayer, are carved on marble tables between Corin- 
thian pillars. The following is the oldest epitaph : 

Under this lyes the late John Gibbes, 

Who deceased on the 1th August^ 1711. 

Aged 40. 

The most curious object to an American is the 
Royal arms, which were formerly a fixture over the 
east window, but now, in their fallen and ruined state, 
are a striking emblem of the political change which 
has been wrought since they were placed there. I 
had the pleasure of hearing Lord Selkirk explain 
some points in this painting on his late visit to Ame- 
rica ; but whether I was awed by listening to an 
Earl's son, or whether, as an American, I have a na- 
tural obtuseness on such points, I cannot say ; but I 
have entirely forgotten every thing he said on that 
subject. His simple, earnest, and unaffected manner, 
however, I vividly remember, as well as the interest 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 25i) 

he displayed in rice-culture and other local topics on 
Cooper river. 

Sacred historical recollections are beginning to 
cluster over many a spot in our country, and the 
traveller will feel them in full force at the plantation 
of Henry Laurens, President of the first American 
Congress. It is a beautiful thought, that when do- 
mestic recollections begin to fade in the lapse of 
years, patriotism is twining its wreath to hang over 
the scenes where our country's saviours lived and 
trod. The avenue leading to the family burial-place 
is very extensive. It is shaded on one side by trees 
of luxuriant growth, and on the other a Cherokee 
rose hedge has grown beyond its original design, and 
throwing its arms around, gives a romantic wildness 
to the path. The burial-place is situated on a knoll 
of considerable elevation, just on a graceful sweep 
of the river. It is wooded to the base with a varie- 
ty of forest growth, except where a stone wall en- 
closes the remains of the dead. Without the wall, for 
a large space, are monuments with wooden crosses, 
indicating the spot where the negroes are laid, that 
numerous family over whom history declares he pre- 
sided with such paternal kindness. 

On returning to life avenue after having mused 
awhile over the tombs, and relieved the solemnity 
and awe of the scene by a glance at the shining 
waters of the Cooper, as it lay calmly in the noon- 
day sun, my thoughts turned back to the past. — On 
this very path, I reflected, has one of our greatest 
patriots trod, perhaps in the bitterness of weeping 



260 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

affection, or in softened recollection wreathing the 
young vines, or planting those memorials which the 
busy heart loves to raise ; or perhaps he stole to the 
seclusion of this avenue to muse alone, and plan 
•great things for his country, and gird up his soul for 
his patriotic trials. 

PRIVATE COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS. 

This part of the country not only contains scenes 
of historical interest, but in the residence of H. S. 
Ball, Esq. affords a delightful treat to the lover of 
the fine arts. I have never experienced half the 
the delight in city exhibitions of pictures, however 
extensive, that I have felt in examining the paintings 
in this unbroken retirement. The tranquillity of the 
country seems peculiarly adapted to the chastened 
reflecting mood with which we pause over works of 
genius. The following list will show that the mind 
need not be idle here. 

The first object to arrest the attention, and which 
is probably one of the greatest triumphs of the art, 
is Spalatro^s vision of the bloody hand, by Washington 
Allston. Its exquisite finish as a painting seems to 
add, by contrast, to the fierce and hardy expression 
of the murderer. I have sitten silently before the 
picture, until I began to feel the wildness of that 
midnight scene over my whole spirit. This chef 
d''cevre was executed for Mr. Ball, and there is no 
other copy existing. 

Second — The Bride of Lammermoor, by Henry 
Inman. This is in fine relief to the effort of All- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 201 

ston's, being purely a picture of the affections. 
Some critics have thought the figure of Lucy 
Ashton too emhonpoint for the conception of the no- 
velist. However this may be, the error is nobly 
compensated by the strange incertitude in the ex- 
pression of her countenance, which wonderfully re- 
alizes the leading characteristics of the individual, 
filial awe and deep absording constancy in love. The 
clergyman, the mother with her iron obstinacy, the 
care-worn, heart-broken, yet noble lover, and all the 
minute points of the picture, are perfect. This also 
was painted for the present owner. 

Third — A portrait of Henry Inman. Spirited. 

Fourth — A portrait of a childf by Stuart. One of 
his most beautiful efforts. 

Fifth — Conrad and Gulnarefby J. B. White. The 
dungeon and sleeping figure have Mr. White's pecu- 
liar merits, which consist in bold conceptions and 
strong contrasts. 

Sixth — A water-color drawings by W. G. Wall, A 
beautiful sketch. 

Seventh — Children playing, supposed to be of the 
School of Nicholas Poussin, by B. K. These rogues 
are in the lovely freedom of youth, all grace and 
spirit. 

Eighth — -Monkeys carousing, by David Teniers. 
It is impossible not to sympathize with this odd group. 
The picture speaks its authorship. 

Ninth — A Madonna, by Carlo Maratti. Exqui- 
sitely painted on amethyst ; the effect is as if the 
figure were floating in clouds. 



262 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCUKSION. 

Tenth — St. Ignatius, by VandycJc. The attention 
is at once arrested by this bold and characteristic 
head, depressed in its broad margin of frame. 

Eleventh — Sheep, i^c., by a French artist. — Agree- 
able grouping and coloring. 

Twelfth — A sketch of the Aurora, from Guidons 
fresco in the palace at Rome. This class of copies 
must always be less attractive than other pictures, 
from the crowding of objects in a small space. This 
is finished with great delicacy. 

Thirteenth — A view of Newport Harbor, R. i.nn 
waters colors, by W. G. Wall. 

Fourteenth — View of the entrance to Newport Har- 
bor, W. G. Wall. These bold rocks and smooth 
waters are among the finest of our local scenes as 
subjects for the artist. 

Fifteenth — The Shepherd, by Murillo. This is a 
very peculiar picture. It represents a figure with 
a sheepskin thrown carelessly about him, and his 
fingers on his pipe, with an expression as if some 
pleasant note had just occurred to him. The open 
mouth gives at first an unpleasant effect, but a mo- 
ment's observation shows its truth, while the eye 
rests unsated on the harmony of the coloring. 

Sixteenth — The Repast, by Terburgh. A most 
finished work. The group consists of a lady ele- 
gantly attired, sitting at a table, a gentleman beside 
her, offering her refreshments, and two attendant fe- 
males in graceful attitudes, and a boy selecting wine 
from a cooler. Every thing is in the highest style 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 263 

of elegance, and all graduated from her who seems 
to be the queen of this little festival. 

Seventeenth — Portrait of Rubens, by Ribeira, 
usually called Espagnoletto. The shading of this 
artist well sets off the marked head of Rubens. 

Eighteenth — Lake Thrasymene, by J. Vernet, 
This picture is peculiar for the cold gray tint of 
dawn, for which the artist is remarkable. 
Nineteenth — A charger, by Van Ayteman. 
Twentieth — Lalce Winnipiseogee, by C. Fraser, 
Twenty. first — Squam Lake, by C. Fraser. The 
coloring is so true to nature as to seem cold, for that 
is the actual peculiarity of these scenes. The warm- 
er pictures of this accomplished artist give me more 
pleasure, particularly his views of Niagara, which 
AUston once said looked like water rushing out of 
space. Mr. Ball has other pictures of Mr. Eraser's, 
not yet in this collection. 

Twenty-second — Copy from Jo7'dan, by a young ar- 
tist. 

Twenty-third — Copy from Wouvermans, by a young 
artist. Great promises, particularly the latter. 

Twenty. fourth — Landscape with Dogs, by W, G, 
Wall 

Twenty-fifth — Game, unknown. And, 
Twenty-sixth— Fis/i. unknown. Old paintings. 
Twenty-seventh — Ducks, unknown. Do. 
Twenty-eighth — Landscape in water colors, by W. 
G. Wall. 

Twenty-ninth — A Magdalen after Skalken, — This 
wild and haggard looking being is a departure from 



2G4 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

the usual conception of artists, but the cave and the 
lurid light consort well with the idea of a penitent. 

Thirtieth— TAe Repose, by W. Page, This lux. 
urious picture is the antipodes of Skalken's Magda. 
len in all its bearings. 

Mr. Weir, at West Point, is now painting a scene 
from Irving's Columbus, for Mr. Ball, which will 
probably add great value to his collection. Our ar- 
tists will look up with hope when such a liberal ex- 
ample is imitated by men of taste. The following 
chaste and eloquent remarks of Professor Goddard 
may appropriately close this sketch : 

*' It may be well to inquire whether a more ge- 
nerous culture of a taste for Liberal Studies would 
not gratefully temper the elements of our present 
social character, and introduce higher and nobler in- 
terests into the whole of our social life. Would it 
not save us from an inordinate admiration of the 
least enviable distinctions of wealth ? Would it not 
impart to our manners more of variety, of grace, of 
dignity, and repose ; and to our morals, a more de- 
licate discrimination and a loftier tone ? 

" Liberal Studies are adapted not only to moderate 
an extravagant desire for wealth, but to aid in es- 
tablishing the true principles upon which wealth 
should be expended. In a country like our own, 
these principles, if well understood, are apt to be 
very imperfectly applied. The primitive stages in 
the progress of retinement we have long since passed. 
Leaving far in the rear the cheap pleasures, the simple 
habits, and the unpretending hospitalities of our fore- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 265 

fathers, we have engaged, it is to be feared, some- 
what too largely? in the career of ambitious splendour 
and inappropriate magnificence. Impelled too often 
by the unworthy desire to surpass our neighbours in 
some matter of mere external embellishment, we la- 
vish thousands in multiplying around ourselves the 
elements of an elegant and selfish voluptuousness. I 
am distressed by no morbid apprehensions concerning 
the progress of luxury in our land. I am terrified 
by no apparition of monopoly. I utter no response 
to the vulture cry of the Radical, now heard in the 
distance. I am far from thinking that the opulent 
ought to diminish their expenses. I believe that, 
with signal advantage, they might increase them. 
But, in the selection of those objects of embellish- 
ment which it is in the power alone of abundant 
wealth to command, I am not singular in contending 
that the decisions of a simpler and better taste ought 
not to be disregarded. Is it not a matter of just re- 
proach, that of all the apartments in our mansion 
houses, the library is generally the most obscure, 
and often the most ill-furnished ; and that the fash- 
ionable upholsterer is allowed to absorb so much of 
our surplus revenue, that hardly any is left for the 
painter and the statuary ? In all this there is 
manifested a melancholy disproportion — an imper- 
fect apprehension of some of the best uses to which 
wealth can be applied. In the spirit of an austere 
philosophy, it is not required that we should dispense 
with those costly ornaments which can boast no high- 
er merit than their beauty ; but it would be hailed 
23 



266 NOTES OF A SOrTHERN EXCURSION. 

as a most benignant reform, if, in the arrangements 
of our domestic economy, there could be traced a 
more distinct recognition of the capacities and des- 
tinies of man as an intellectual and moral being — as 
a being endowed with Imagination and Taste — with 
Reason and with Conscience. How few among us 
culivate the Fine Arts ! How few understand the 
principles on which they are founded — the sensitve 
part of our nature to which they are addressed ! To 
this remark, the imperfect knowledge of Music, which, 
in obedience to the authority of fashion, is acquired 
at the boarding-school, forms no exception. It may 
still be affirmed, that we have among us no class 
who delight in Music as one of their selectest plea- 
sures ; who gaze with untiring admiration upon the 
miraculous triumphs of Painting ; who are filled with 
tranquil enthusiasm by the passionless and unearth- 
ly beauty of Sculpture. And is not this to be la- 
mented ? Do we not thus estrange ourselves from 
sources of deep and quiet happiness, to which we 
might often resort for solace, and refreshment, and 
repose ? To these sources of happiness there is no- 
thing in the nature of our political institutions, or 
of our domestic pursuits, which sternly forbids an 
approach. We have, it is true, no titled aristocracy ; 
and property does not, as in the land of our forefa- 
thers, accumulate in large masses, and descend, un- 
divided, through a long line of expectant proprietors. 
But there is scarcely a city, a town, or a village in 
this land, where some could not be found, blessed 
with every requisite but the disposition, to acquire 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 267 

a genuine relish for the Fine Arts. Nay, more ; in 
our larger cities, all of which boast their commercial 
prosperity, and some their Athenian refinement, why 
should not the masters of the pencil and the chisel 
be employed to furnish for the private mansion those 
precious decorations, which alone are secure from 
the capricious despotism of fashion ? By thus 
expending some portion of their superabundant 
wealth, the opulent would drink deeply of those 
finer joys which are perversely left unapproached by 
the indolent, the voluptuous, and the profligate. 
Thus, too, would they gather around themselves al- 
most inexhaustible means of winning others from 
sordid pursuits, to a contemplation of the imperish- 
able glories of Genius and of Art." 



SKETCHES FROM 

BUNCOMBE, N.C. 

BY 

ANNA MARIA WELLS. 



23* 



BUNCOMBE, N. C. 

The following prose extracts from private letters 
afford too interesting an addition to the other effusions 
from the same pen, to pass without a record in the 
Poetry of Travelling. The poems seem now like 
pearls arranged on their appropriate string. 

I am enveloped in mountains. In no direction 
can 1 turn without seeing them, piles on piles — one 
behind another, of a fainter and fainter grey as they 
vanish in the distance. We had a thunder-storm 
this evening. Never speak of thunder in Charleston. 
"Not from one lone cloud; but every mountain." 
Poor weak mortality must needs quail to hear it. 

I could not help admiring the beauty and freshness 
of the woods, at the early hour of morning, as 
we fiew by them in the car ; and I felt ashamed of 
being any part or portion of that noisy boisterous 
thing, that with such bustle and uproar was disturb- 
ing their majestic soHtude. I was vexed at being 
whisked by so many beautiful wild flowers, with a 
mere glance at their splendid colour, and not the 
faintest notion of their form. We were soon beyond 
all traces of the Magnolia, the beds of water lilies 
were left far behind, and I saw no more of a splen- 
did swamp flower, which had caught my eye by its 



272 NOTES OF A SOUTHER^f EXCURSION. 

rich dress of scarlet, bordering on crimson. I in- 
quired its name ; but the object was mistaken by my 
neighbour, who answered, " That is the Magnoha 
Gander Flower ! you've nothin hke that at the North, 
I reckon !" " I guess we hav'n't" — I wanted to say, 
but I was afraid of getting too well acquainted. 

We were hurried through our breakfast at Wood- 
stock, yet so great in mankind is that wicked organ 
of destructiveness, that we not only stopped, but re- 
turned on our way to effect the destruction of an 
Alligator. All the passengers alighted to see the 
unfortunate mother and her young ones (" all my 
pretty chickens and their dam") dragged from their 
retreat and killed. I was very glad when we arriv- 
ed at Augusta. Though I had railed at rail-roads 
all day, I began to think it a " ra-al clever contriv- 
ance," as my new acquantance would have called 
it, when I rested, after a journey of 136 miles, with 
less fatigue than one of 40 has often given me. I 
christened my fellow-traveller Jonathan Wildfire, he 
reminded me so much of Hackett's celebrated repre- 
sentation, the truth of which, but for him, I should 
never have known. 

We left Edgefield the third morning at dawn of 
day, and such a stage as we were packed in ! " This 
ere stage has had a heap of upsets I reckon," said 
Jonathan, pointing out the various broken and mend- 
ed places, " no small number any how !" There was 
no help for it — the roads before us were the worst 
on the route, and at such a break-neck rate as we 
drove ! Up hill and down^horses at full gallop, and 



KOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 273 

coachman whipping them on — stumps and stones in 
the way, and a broken carriage to boot. On we 
went — 

" We stopped not for breaJi, and we stopped not for stone, 
And we dashed thro' the rivers where bridge there was none." 

I could not help contrasting, in this situation, the 
Northern and Southern character. Crossing the 
mountains in Vermont, I have observed, how the 
passengers would all spring to one side, to preserve 
the balance and prevent an overturn ; how they 
would get out and walk at dangerous places, and 
how the coachman would hold in his reins in going 
down hill, and even chain the wheels — while here, 
all is neck or nothing — driver and passengers — ail 
seem reckless of danger, and so infectious is the spi- 
rit, that even I, with all my constitutional timidity, 
began to feel as if my neck might be broken to be 
sure, but that it might be mended somehow. The 
only indication of caution that I noticed was in Jo- 
nathan himself, who, after riding one morning on 
the box, came suddenly, feet first, through the car- 
riage window, exclaiming, " I'm no way particular, 
but I can't keep my seat with that ere fellow any long- 
er ; he's as bad a hand at his trade as ever 1 see." 
*' I'll pester ye for a little of that water," said he, as 
the driver stopped to water his horse at a brook. " Its 
powerful bad water, but (with a grin) not worse than 
your drivin I recon." " Well, the truth ont is," 
said the driver, *' I never was no sort of a hand at 
steerin, but my team is mortal feard on me, any how." 



274 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

With this candid and comforting confession, we 
were obhged to content ourselves till the next stage, 
when, to my great relief, we changed driver, carriage 

and horses, and arrived here safely. 

****** 

L proposed a ride on horseback this afternoon, 



and we followed a winding path through the woods, 
which suddenly brought us before a little building, 
formed, in the usual manner, of rough logs, and stand- 
ing in the middle of a small cleared spot, surround- 
ed by the lofty trees and thick under-brush of the 
forest. 

•' It is a church," said L ; " the country peo. 

pie assemble here every other Sabbath, and when 
the weather is fine, the services are performed in 
the open air ; but otherwise, within the building." 

I was ready to smile at its rudeness and insigni- 
ficance, but a sudden feeling of awe came over me : 
I remembered it was God's Temple, and that the glow 
of devotion might be kindled as warmly here as at a 
prouder shrine. Amid the stillness, the beauty, 
and grandeur of such scenery, the presence of the 
Deity must be deeply, strongly felt. 

My horse's foot stumbled over some obstruction, 
I looked — it was a decayed wooden tomb-stone. 
I gazed around, and for the first time discovered 
that I was within the sacred pecincts of the dead. 
Some ^ew of the graves were surrounded with little 
wooden palings, but most of them were open to the 
passing footstep. 

How peacefully they sleep here, thought I. No 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 275 

sound to disturb the deep repose, but the gentle stir- 
ring of the leaves, the plaintive moan of the wood 
pigeon, or occasionally the hymn of devotion, arising 
from that consecrated building. 

As we returned by a little broken by-path, we 
passed two superb azalias. What a contrast was 
their vigour, and beauty, and freshness to the train 
of thought I had been pursuing ! My feelings re- 
solved themselves into the following strain : 

THE MOUNTAIN CHURCH. 

As one without a friend, one summer eve 
I walked among the solemn woods alone. 
The boughs hung lovely, and the gentle winds 
Whispered a song monotonous and low, 
That soothed my mind even while it made me sad. 

The path I followed, by a turn abrupt. 
Brought me to stand beside that humble roof, 
Where the few scattered families that dwell 
Among these mountains and deep forest shades 
Meet weekly, to uplift the soul in prayer. 
A few rude logs up-piled were all the walls, — 
There were four windows and a door, not e'en 
Adorn 'd with rudest art; and in the midst 
A pulpit, — cushioned not, nor overhung 
With crimson folds of fringed drapery, 
Nor graced with gilded volumes richly bound. 
Amid the mountain pines the low roof stood. 
And mountain hands had reared it; but it wore 
An air of reverence. 

Few paces onward, 
O'ershadowed more by the green underwood, 
Some slight raised mounds showed where the dead 

were laid. 
No gravestone told who slept beneath the turf 



276 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

(Perchance the heart that deeply mourns, needs not > ■ 

Such poor remembrancer.) The forest flowers , 

Themselves had fondly clustered there,— and white .■ ■ 

Azalias with sweet breath stood round about, 

Like fair young maidens mourning o'er their dead. 

In some sweet solitude like this I would 

That I might sleep my last long dreamless sleep ! 

Oh quiet I'esting place ! Divine repose ! 

Let not my voice, I whispered, oh let not 

My heedless step profane thy sanctity ! 

Still shall sweet summer smiling, linger here, 

And wasteful winter lightly o'er thee pass ; 

Bright dews of morning jewel thee ! and all 

The silent stars watch over thee at night; 

The mountains clasp thee lovingly within ^ 

Their giant arms, and ever round thee bow 

The everlasting foi*ests ; for thou art 

In thy simplicity a holy spot 

And not unmeet for heavenly worshipper. 

****** 

In our ride this afternoon we passed along the 
banks of Coopei'^s Creek, a miserable little, muddy, 
sluggish stream, which nevertheless awakened a feel- 

ing of interest when Mr. said, " Do you know 

these are the waters of the Mississippi^?" 

Through the woods our road was narrow and 
winding, and the boughs came so closely together 
from either side, that we lost sight of each other con- 
tinually, and were obliged to bend quite dov^p to avoid 
being knocked off our saddles as we passQ^ under 
the hanging brandies. There was excitement and 
pleasure in it, and, more than all — health ! - 

We rode to the summit of a hill to see the sun set 
behind the mountains : it was misty, however, in the 



NOTfES OP A SOUTHERN EXOtJRSION. 277 

distance, and the Day-God departed not with his 
usual splendour. How well are these heights named 
the Blue Ridge ! Their colour is beautiful : the 
more distant ones to-night were almost of the hue 
of the violet ; and along their bold outlines was a 
continuous thread of light that looked like a golden 
rim crowning their majestic heads. Mount Pisgah 
seemed to tower higher than ever, though S— — de- 
clares that " none of these mountains are as high as 
they were eight years ago !" 

We returned home slowly ; there was a quiet solem- 
nity in the twilight that sobered us all. Even little 

A hushed her song and her prattle as it grew dark, 

and seenled to feel with me how deep was the power 
of solitude. The mountains seemed to be closing us 
in. The trees whispered to us as we passed by them, 
and the whippoorwill sang unanswered. Silence was 
about us and in our hearts, and I went to my own 
room and wrote the following stanzas, under impres- 
sions of melancholy that I like not often to indulge 
in. 

TO THE WHIPPOORWILL. 

The shades of eve are gathering slowly round, 
And silence hangs o'er meadow, grove, and hill, 

Save one lone voice, that, with continuous sound, 
Calls thro' the deep'ning twilight — Whippoorwill. 

Faintly is heard the whispering mountain breeze j 
Faintly the rushing brook that turn'd the mill : 

Hush'd is the song of birds — the hum of bees ; — 
The hour is all thine own, sad Whippoorwill i 
24 



278 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Nq more the woodman's axe is heard to fall: 
No more the ploughman sings with rustic skill. 

As if earth's echoes woke no other call, 
Again, and yet again, comes Whippoorwill ! 

Alas ! enough ; before, my heart was sad ; 

Sweet bird ! thou makest it sadder, sadder still. 
Enough of mourning has my spirit had ; 

I would not hear thee mourn, poor WhippoorvnU. 

Thoughts of my distant home upon me press, 
And thronging doubts, and fears of coming ill ; 

My lone heart feels a deeper loneliness, 
Touch'd with that plaintive burthen — WMppoorwiL, 

Sing to the village lass, whose happy home 

Lies in yon quiet vale, behind the hill ; 
But, doom'd far, far from all I love to roam, 

Sing not to me, oh gentle WhippoorvnU. 

Lov'd ones ! my children ! Ah, they cannot hear 
My voice that calls to them ! An answer shrill, 

A shrill, unconscious answer rises near, 
Repeating, still repeating, Whippoonoill ! 

Another name my lips would breathe ; — but then 
Such tender memories all my bosom fill, 

Back to my sorrowing breast it sinks again ! 

Hush, or thou'lt break my heart, sad Whippoorwill. 

5)< ^^J ijf. * * * 

The face of nature is beginning to change ; the 
foliage of the mountains is already touched with 
orange, crimson, and brown ; and the meadow-pinks 
and honeysuckles and azalias, which have made the 
woods so beautiful all summer, are beginning to give 
way to the various shades of blue, purple, and yeliow, 
that seem to be the prevailing colours of the autumn. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 279 

al flowers. Now, too, for the first time, I see the li- 
lies of the field '* and how they grow," — the woods 
are full of them, arrayed in gold and scarlet, with 
spots and streaks of the darkest crimson, and bending 
close to the earth, as if to hide their glory. I had 
seen them before in our gardens at the North, but 
here, in their wild state, they assume a different 
character. The scenery along the banks of the 
French Broad is very lovely ; but my feelings have 
been most excited and elevated by views from the 
summits of the high mountains. I am astonished to 
find myself so embosomed among them. As I look 
down and afar off, for miles and miles distant, still 
they are rising, wave on wave, blue and misty like 
those of the ocean, and giving me the sensation of 
dizziness which we feel at sea. Below me, as I 
stand upon these giddy heights, lie the everlasting 
forests, with here and there a cleared spot, in the 
midst of which I can discern the tiny farm-houses 
and the long winding mazes of the French Broad, 
twining like a silver thread among the harvest fields. 
The air on these mountains is so bracing and sweet, 
as amply to repay the heat and fatigue of the ascent. 
The following lines will tell the rest : 

LET US GO TO THE WOODS. 

Let us go to the woods — 'tis a bright sunny day : 
They are mowing the grass, and at work with the hay. 
Come over the meadow and scent the fresh air, 
For the pure mountain breezes are every where. 
We'll follow this winding path up to the hills, 
And spring with a lightsome foot over the rills. 



280 NOTES OF A SOUXnERN EXCURSIOX. 

Up — up— it grows sweeter the higher we get, 

With the flowers of the season that linger here yet; 

Nay — pause not to gaze at the landscape now; 

It is finer when seen from the high hill's brow. 

We will gather all curious flowers as we go ; 

The sweet and the scentless, and those that bend low ; 

The pale and the gaudy, the tiny, the tall. 

From the vine, from the shrub, we will gather them all. 

Now here's the clematis all graceful and fair ; 

You may set it like pearls in the folds of your hair. 

And if for your bosom you'd have a bouquet, 

Here's i\\e Meadow-pink, sweet, and the Touch-me-not gay. 

Here's the full-blown Azalia, perfuming the air, 

Here's the Cardinal-JIovser, that a princess might wear. 

And the wild mountain Phlox, pink and purple and blue, 

And Star-Jlowers, both white and of golden hue. 

And here's a bright blossom, a gay one indeed. 

Our mountain-maids name it the Butterjly-vjeed. 

So gorgeous its colours, one scarcely can tell 

If the flower or the insect in beauty excef. 

Here's the low dwarf ylcaci«, that droops as it grows, 
And its leaves, as you gather them, tremble and close. 
And near us, I know by her breath on the gale, 
Is the tall yellow Primrose so pretty and pale. 

Here's the Pigeon-Pea, fit for a fairy's bowers, — 
And the purple Thrift, straightest and primmest of flowers. 
Here is Privet ; no prettier shrub have we met, 
And the Midsummer Daisy is hiding here yet. 

But stay — We are now on the high hill's brow ! 

How bright lie the fields in the sun light below! 

Do you see those white chimneys that peep o'er the grove 1 

'Tis you own little cottage, the home that you love — 

Let us go by the fields where the chinquapins are. 

And through the long lane where the Chesnuts hang fair, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 281 

They are scarcely yet ripe, but their tender green 
Looks lovely the dark clustering foliage between : — 
And we'll stop at the nest that we found in the wood, 
And see if the black-bird hath flown with her brood : 
And we'll list to the mocking-bird, wondering thereat, 
Till he pauses, as if to ask ' who can do that 7 ' 
"We will listen and gaze ; for the lowliest thing 
Some lesson of worth to the mind can bring. 
If we read natui'e's book with a serious eye, 
Not a leaf, but some precious thought on it doth lie: 
And 'tis good to go forth among scenes like these, 
Amid music and sunshine, and flowers and trees, 
If 'twere only to waken the deep love that springs 
At the sight of all lovely and innocent things. 

Mountain Lodge. 
We arrived here yesterday about sunset. The 
evening was gloomy and wet, but even storms can- 
not quite obscure the beauty of this place ; and this 
morning the sun has come forth again — 

" Laughing the clouds away as if in scorn." 

The house stands unusually high, and never did 
my eye rest upon a more lovely scene than that 
which lay outstretched before me when I threw up 
the chamber window. The mists were just curling 
down the sides of the distant mountains ; and the 
wide extent of forest which lies beneath them, seemed 
in the distance more like fields of verdure than the 
disconnected foliage of lofty trees. Within this green 
amphitheatre my eye reposes upon sunny hills and 
cultivated plains. In yonder dewy pastures I see 
the quiet sheep, and hear their pleasant bleating min- 
24* 



282 KOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

gling with the incessant warbling of the birds. To 
the left lies the little field of the Turkey-minder ; and 
there, these two hours, has stood the untiring girl, 
beneath the spreading oak, with her feathered flock 
about her, by no means the least striking object 
in the picture. Just beside this pretty rural group 
stands a grove of maples, and beyond them lies the 

artificial lake, which Mrs. , with her unrivalled 

energy, has brought up to increase the picturesque 
beauty of the scene, and supply its only deficiency. 
Further to the right, seen through an opening in 
the trees, stands the little Gothic church, the result 
of the same creative taste and liberal spirit ; and 
within all this are the large and richly cultivated 
gardens immediately surrounding the house, where 
no weeds are permitted to encumber the rich and va- 
ried parterre, where the shaven turf seems tempting 
the feet to try its softness. Yellow butterflies are 
chasing each other fi'om bank to bower ; and the de- 
licious fragrance of the sweet-briar, the mignionette, 
and the honey-suckle, are rising up like incense. 
Yonder pathway leads to the little vine-shaded stone 
dairy-house, at the door of which a fountain, sur- 
rounded by shells, throws out incessantly its fresh 
and sparkling waters ; and that other winds up the hill 
behind it, whither, with all expedition, I mean now to 
follow, that I may have one wide look over the whole 
landscape before the sun steals away all its jewelry. 
Well ! and what efTect had the Buncombe scenery 
upon your mind 1 you may ask. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 283 

Like almost every thing else I have seen since I left 
New England, it served only to bear me home, and 
leave my thoughts where my heart is : 

SONG. 

New-England, New-England, my home o'er the sea I 
My heart, as I wander, turns fondly to thee ; 
For bright rests the sun on thy clear winding streams, 
And soft o'er thy meadows the moon pours her beams. 

New-England, New-England, my home o'er the sea ! 

The wanderer's heart turns in fondness to thee. 

Thy breezes are healthful, and clear are thy rills, 
And the harvest waves proudly and rich on thy hills. 
Thy maidens are fair, and thy yeomen are strong, 
And thy rivers run blithely thy valleys among. 

New-England, New-England, my home o'er the sea ! 

The wanderer's heart turns in fondness to thee. 

There's home in New-England, where dear ones of mine 
Are thinking of me and the days of lang syne, 
And blest be the hour when, my pilgrimage o'er, 
I shall sit by that hearth-stone and leave it no more. 

New-England, New-England, my home o'er the sea ! 

My heart, as I wander, turns fondly to thee. 



LETTERS FROM GEORGIA: 



THE 

GOLD MINES, 



LETTERS FROM GEORGIA. 
■The Gold Mines, 

C. H. Geo. Jan, 1835, 

My Dear Friend. 

You ask me for a more particular account of the 
visit I made two years since to the Georgia Gold 
Region. I do not wonder that the interesting novel 
of " Guy Rivers" should have awakened your curio- 
sity to know more of the remarkable tract of coun- 
try in which its scene is laid. I hasten to gratify 
your wish, so far as may be at present in my power ; 
and promise as faithful a description as my memory 
will enable me to give. 

I first entered the Northern part of Georgia, not, 
like the hero of " Guy Rivers," on horseback, with 
pistols at my saddle-bow, though I have no doubt 
the description of young Colleton's equipage accu- 
rately delineates that of many travellers in that sec- 
tion. I however came more peaceably along, in a 
clumsy stage, rumbling and jolting over intolerable 
roads. Both roads and stages, I presume, have since 
improved. From Athens, the seat of the State Uni- 
versity, where I had attended a very creditable Com- 
mencement, I directed my course towards Clarks- 



288 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ville. This village, the seat of justice for Haber- 
sham County, is beautifully situated, in a most health, 
ful and temperate region, near the mountains, whose 
blue summits rise in full view around it. The vil- 
lage itself is very pretty, with numerous well-built 
frame houses, and a brick court-house in the middle 
of its square, according to the invariable plan of 
county towns in Georgia. I arrived about noon on 
Sunday, and had the satisfaction of attending ser- 
vice in a building, comfortable and neat, though plain, 
belonging, I believe, to the Methodist denomination, 
though on this occasion its pulpit was occupied by 
a clergyman of other sentiments. The next morn- 
ing found me on my way to the mines, on horseback, 
and in agreeable company. We crossed the beau- 
tiful, valley of Naucoochy, a spot which had been 
under cultivation long before the whites became pos- 
sessors of the soil, and probably even before it was 
occupied by the Cherokees. A small conical hill 
was pointed out to me, rising from the level of the 
valley, and supposed, with great probability, to be a 
work of art, and to contain the bones of some Indians 
of an earlier race. In another portion of this val- 
ley, the miners, last summer, while digging for gold, 
encountered beneath the soil unexpected vestiges of 
the hand of man. They disinterred a number ot 
huts, constructed in the usual manner of log-houses, 
but with the remarkable circumstance that they were 
without doors or windows. These apertures are, in 
building log-huts, generally sawn out after the logs 
have been secured in their places ; so the natural 



NOTES OF A SOUTHEEN EXCURSION. 289 

conclusion is, that this cantonment, commenced by 
some party, was, from some cause unknown, hastily 
abandoned before it was completed. But who were 
the builders? The most probable conjecture, per- 
haps, is that they were Spaniards, by whom, it is well 
known, under the command of De Soto and others, 
Georgia was partially explored. 

After being deserted by their builders, it seems 
probable that these half-finished huts were for a time 
under water, and that Naucoochy valley was tem- 
porarily a lake, among the accumulating alluvium of 
which the huts were at last buried. The lake 
at length forced its way through its bank, and left, 
as at present, the valley intersected by a small 
stream. 

But I must leave Naucoochy, and turning to the 
le^t, cross a branch of the Chatahoochee, and make 
my way along the side of Mount Yonah, — now no 
longer inhabited by the bears from whicli it derives 
its name.* It was my object to spend a few da3's 
with a friend who had made his home in this region ; 
and with him and his acquaintances I learned that 
warm hearts and cultivated minds can live in log 
cabins and deal in gold. It was not long after ar- 
riving at my place of destination, before I walked 
forth to visit a gold mine. The first which I saw 
was one of the alluvial or deposite mines. These are 
found along the banks of the rivulets or " branches," 
and the gold is separated by the simple process of 

* Yonah, in Cherokee, signifies bear. 
25 



290 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

washing. For my gratification, a workman went 
through this process in its simplest form, that of 
" panning." This is merely to fill an iron pan with 
the gravel among which the gold is found, and to 
stir the pan about with the hands for some time, under 
water, throwing out the gravel from time to time. 
The metal, by this process, sinks to the bottom of the 
vessel, and the workman comes to you at last with 
nothing in his pan visible at first sight except a lit- 
tie black sand. On narrowly inspecting this sand, 
however, you discover here and there a bright yel- 
low speck, which is pure gold. 

This process of panning is of course slow and la- 
borious; very little of the gravel can thus be wash- 
ed at a time. But in this manner the gold-diggers 
at first laboured, and it is thus that you may suppose 
Guy Rivers, Forester, and their companions, to have 
been employed. To expedite the business, however, 
a machine is now commonly used, called a rocker. 
One of these machines finds employment for. ten or 
twelve men, who are commonly negroes. You see 
three or four at work in digging out the gravel, which 
lies commonly about two feet below the surface, and 
composes, itself, a stratum of the same thickness. 
Two or three are employed in carrying the gravel in 
wheelbarrows to the rocker. One is occupied in 
shovelling it from the barrows to the machine, others 
keep the machine in motion, and another, with a large 
rake, distributes the gravel over its surface. The 
upper part of the rocker is like a very coarse sieve, 
and the gravel being thrown on it, and washed with 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 291 

water from the stream, which continually runs upon 
it, the smaller particles, among which is the gold, 
fall through the sieve into a box, where they are still 
further washed until the water runs out. This low- 
er box contains a quantity of quicksilver, which, as 
you well know, attracts other metals and combines 
with them. This quicksilver therefore seizes the 
small particles of gold from among the sand and 
water with which it is still mingled ; and at night 
the owner of the mine finds in his machine a mass 
of amalgamated quicksilver and gold. He may then 
have the metal in a pure state by exposing the whole 
to a strong heat. 

But it is time for me to close this letter. At ano- 
ther opportunity I will continue the subject, and may 
perhaps in future attempt to describe something of 
a different character from gold mines, — the noble 
works of nature, which I witnessed in all their primi- 
tive wildness, amidst the deep forests of my adopt- 
ed state. Till then adieu. 

S. G. B. 

My Dear Friend, 

According to promise, I proceed with the history 
of my first excursion to the northern part of this 
State. At the conclusion of my last, you recollect 
I had just visited a deposite or surface mine, and 
witnessed the process of separating the gold from its 
accompanying gravel. By far the greater number 
of mines at present wrought in Georgia are of this 
description : since the hill or vein mines, though 
richer in the precious metal, require more machine- 



2'J2 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ry than most gold seekers can command, in these 
latter, the metal exists not interspersed among gra- 
vel, but deeply imbedded in rock ; and in order to ob- 
tain it, the rock must be broken out and reduced to 
powder before the process of washing can be com- 
menced. I have not yet seen any works in full 
operation for the performance of this process. I vi- 
sited, however, a few days after the time mentioned 
in my last, a lot where extensive and very costly pre- 
parations were making for the purpose. A small hill 
had been pierced with holes from above, and in va- 
rious directions around its base, till it looked like a 
colander ; but this part of the work had been aban- 
doned for another attempt. 

I entered one of the openings, with a guide who 
carried a torch. On each side of me were deep pits, 
full to the top with water. Quantities of rock, how- 
ever, had been cut out, from which perhaps, before 
this, gold had been procured. The workmen were 
at the time engaged on another and larger opening, 
— a shaft, about twelve feet square, and, at the time 
I saw it, perhaps forty feet deep. This was half full 
of water, which the " hands" were baling out by the 
barrel-full, with the aid of machinery. I was told 
that the owner expected to penetrate about a hun- 
dred feet deeper before he touched the wealthy vein, 
but that when that had been reached, its profits 
would be incalculable. 

When I looked into the yawning gulf before me, 
where the flow of water suspended the possibility of 
further excavation, I did not envy him his pros- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 293 

pect. The same morning I visited a rich deposite 
mine, belonging to the same gentleman. Here I 
was shown some very beautiful and valuable speci- 
mens of virgin gold, by which term the metal is de- 
signated when found pure, and in pieces of sufficient 
size to secure it without the use of quicksilver. A 
steam machine had been erected here, for effecting 
more rapidly the process of washing ; but it had 
been found on trial, inferior to the rockers, and it 
now lay useless and motionless, like the carcase of a 
slain mammoth. 

Another method of obtaining gold has been resort, 
ed to by some enterprising men. This is, to search, 
for the precious metal, the sands of the rivers and 
smaller streams. In some instances the course of 
the water has been turned, and its ancient channel 
laid bare to the eye of industry ; elsewhere machines 
are employed to draw up from the bottom of the 
river the precious deposite. The Chestatee and 
Cane Creek especially appear to rival the ancient 
Pactolus, to which, according to the fable, king Midas, 
by bathing in its waters, imparted his own power of 
making gold. I hope Georgia is not destined to ex- 
emplify in some other respects the truth of that 
most ingenious and instructive fiction. May she 
never, like Midas, find her wealth a curse, and, los- 
ing the habits of regular productive industry, starve 
in the midst of uncounted riches, like the unhappy 
king who could not touch an article of food without 
turning it into gold. 

The danger, however, which existed, of such a re- 
25* 



294 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

suit, is, I trust, decreasing. The mode adopted by 
Georgia, of disposing ot^ the lately acquired territory 
by lottery, gave, it is to be feared, too great encou- 
ragement to unprincipled speculators ; and among 
the population who first crowded in upon that re- 
gion, there were many who would scarcely have 
been tolerated any where else. With them, however, 
were others of correct principles and unexception- 
able conduct ; and as the wildness of a new settle- 
ment gradually wears away, the Gold Region as- 
sumes and maintains more and more the aspect of 
an orderly, moral, and religious community. The 
first excitement which attended the discovery of the 
metallic treasures in our country has worn off; and 
it is perceived, that with a few remarkable exceptions 
both on the favorable and on the unfavorable side, 
gold-mining is like any other form of honest labour ; 
he who works hard, may expect moderate prosperity ; 
he who is idle, will fail of success. I may add, how- 
ever, that to the lover of nature the view is more 
agreeable, of a field of waving grain or flowering 
cotton, than of turbid streams, muddy ditches, and 
exhausted, squalid, and sickly negroes. Whatever 
evils, however, attend this branch of industry, will 
gradually give way. The deposite mines will, before 
many years, be exhausted ; and in the vein mines, 
which may be regarded as the permanent wealth of 
that section, the use of machinery will probably su- 
persede the cause which renders mining at present 
unhealthy. This cause I consider to be the neces- 
sity of working much in water. But the miners 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 295 

have at present a free circulation of air and a fine 
climate. They are not pent up within the walls of a 
factory, nor are they exposed to the dangerous va- 
pours of a level soil. Thus Providence apportions 
among different climes and occupations the advan- 
tages and disadvantages of life. 1 will not tire you 
with longer reflections, but promising soon to repeat 
my communications, remain affectionately yours, 

S. G. B. 

TALLULAH FALLS. 

My Dear Friend, 

Mount that steed which imagination will bridle 
and saddle for you in a moment, and clearing at a 
bound a few hundred miles of sand and pine-trees, 
join me, as I am about to set out from our friend 
V— = — 's log-hut, for a ramble among the hills. 
Little need be said of our losing our way. We 
cross-questioned every stupid boy and deaf old wo- 
man to know whether we were going right or wrong. 
Those whom we addressed had generally "hear'n 
tell of Terrora Falls ;" but here their knowledge ter- 
minated, though the remarkable scene of which we 
were in search was but a few miles from them, and 
constantly visited by travellers from every section 
of the State. After going twice as far as we need- 
ed, we at length found ourselves near the object of 
our journey. My companion informed me, to my 
no small gratification, that another mile would bring 
us to the house where we could lodge during the 
approaching night, and from which to the Falls 



296 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

would be but a brief ride for the following morning. 
Our path here led up the ascent of a hill. On gain- 
ing the summit, we turned to gaze over the more 
level country of the South. It was a magnificent 
spectacle, — magnificent in its unbounded wildness. 
Below, all around, as far as the eye could reach, 
w^ere forests, whose shades appeared as unbroken as 
if they had never been penetrated by man. It was 
difficult to conceive that a population of active human 
beings existed among those interminable woods ; for 
from the eminence we had attained, not a cultivated 
field, not a dwelling, could be discerned. We knew 
that rivers flowed below, but the thick woods shut 
them from our view. We knew that villages and 
plantations were scattered around, but the mighty 
forest seemed to have engulphed them. The sun, 
about to set, glanced over an ocean of foliage. This 
resemblance struck the eye and the mind in an instant. 
In the distance, the greenness of the woods faded in- 
to that uncertain colour which marks the remoter 
portions in a sea view, till, as in such a view, the 
last tints blended with those of the sky above. The 
Currahee mountain rose like a gigantic island amid 
the waves of oak and pine. Distance had softened 
down all its irregularities of form, and as I gazed on 
it, a perfectly symmetrical cone, I could scarce be- 
lieve it was the broken and forest-clad hill which, a 
few days before, I had wandered over. 

Mr. Taylor's biscuits and his beds were highly ac- 
ceptable to way-worn travellers ; and in the morn- 
ing we renewed our course to the Falls, or, I should 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 297 

rather say, the Ravine of Tallulah. The name, I 
beheve, signifies in Cherokee, terrible. The country- 
people have half translated and half corrupted the 
name into Terrora, or Terroree, as I find it spelt on 
a map of Georgia. 

Fastening our horses to the trees, we advance a 
few paces, and stand on the brink of an awful gulph. 
Deep, deep is the descent — here perpendicular, there 
broken, with old black and gray rocks every where 
lying in gigantic masses. Whether it be six hun- 
dred iQQi, or double that distance, to the bottom of 
this tremendous ravine, I do not remember. It might 
well be either, for the emotion produced at the time, 
and the lasting impression of the scene upon the 
memory. Take care where you tread. A false 
step precipitates you where those birds of prey, that 
now are wheeling far beneath you, will alone be able 
to find your quivering remains. Look beyond. Had 
ever kingly castle a battlement like that which frowns 
upon you from the distant side ? On that height 
the rocks have piled themselves in the form of a 
rude hermitage ; but no foot of man ever entered 
tnat door. The eagle is the only dweller there. 
A wood grows between — far, far beneath you, but 
through it you may see a river, here wildly dashing, 
and there gliding quietly along. You hear the dis- 
tant sound of a waterfall. Look as far as the eye 
can reach towards the left. You see it there. In 
one spot the river leaps forward in a single mighty 
bound ; there again it slides over a smooth rock, 
then dashes, broken, into an abyss that foams up 



298 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

again to receive it. Haste thither. It is a mile or 
two further from your present point of sight ; but 
before you go, take a last look at this tremendous 
ravine. Here ! Stand on this projecting rock, the 
" Devil's Pulpit," and creep on your hands and knees, 
till you can look over, and again see the river spark- 
ling, the grey rocks, the waving woods, and those 
eagles wheeling about beneath you. Now away ! 
" The voice of many waters" calls us to the higher 
part of the stream. 

And here keep a sure footing, — for we must de- 
scend to the veryWnk, that we may stand near the 
torrent in its leap. Hold by that sapling, — now by 
this. Well ! we have gained this rock ; but we 
must go lower yet. In passing here, however, a slide 
may precipitate you where the waters will be your 
grave and their eternal music your dirge. They 
who venture here must put the shoes from off 
their feetf and trust in the surer tread of unassisted 
nature. The scene is worth the toil encountered in 
placing it within our view. We stand side by side 
with the river in its might. Look behind ; — it is 
there bursting from above. Look before; — it is 
there breaking, foaming, and at last sinking exhaust- 
ed, and gliding thence in peace. But the cataract 
itself is as nothing compared with the savage gran- 
deur of the scenery around. Look along that ravine. 
There is the spot where you lately stood ; — there, 
still proudly eminent on the other side, that hermit- 
age, whose secrets man has never explored. And 
now away ! but not without— 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 299 

A HYMN OF PRAISE TO THE GOD OF THE FO- 
REST AND THE FLOOD. 

The forest, Lord, is thine ; 
Thy quickening voice calls forth its buds to light, 

Its thousand leaflets shine, 
Bathed in thy dews and in thy sunbeams bright. 

Thy voice is on the air, 
Where breezes murmur through the pathless shades ; 

Thy universal care. 
These awful deserts, as a spell, pervades. 

Father! these rocks are thine. 
Of thee the everlasting monument, 

Since, at thy glance divine, 
Earth trembled, and her solid hills were rent. 

Thine is the flashing wave. 
Poured forth by thee from its rude mountain urn ; 

And thine yon secret cave. 
Where haply gems of orient lustre burn. 

1 hear the eagle scream ; 
And not in vain kis cry ! Amid the wild 

Thou hearest. Can I deem 
Thou wilt not listen to thy human child 7 

God of the rock and flood ! 
In this deep solitude I feel Thee nigh. 

Almighty, wise and good. 
Turn on thy suppliant child a parent's eye ! 

Guide through lifers vale of fear 
My placid current, from defilement free, 

Till, seen no longer here, 
It finds the ocean of its rest in thee ! 

S. G. B. 

FALLS OF TOCCOA. 

My Dear Friend, 

It was a matter of doubt to me, whether, in return- 
ing from the mountainous region, it would be worth my 



300 NOTES OP A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

while to deviate from the direct road for the few miles 
which intervened between it and the falls of Toccoa. 
The stream, I was told, was so scanty, that the scene 
was not worthy of comparison with what I had al- 
ready visited. I concluded, however, to direct my 
course thither, — carefully preparing myself not to 
expect too much. I travelled alone, and on horse- 
back, a mode of journeying by no means disagree- 
able to one who can find company in his own thoughts. 
Are there clouds in the sky ? Their forms supply 
fancy with materials for her transient but pleasing 
structures. Is the sun bright and the sky clear ? 
Then, if one's own heart is at ease, sunshine is hap- 
piness in itself. I love, too, to ride among woods. 
I have a cause of sympathy with them, which is not 
shared by all. Call me fanciful or superstitious if 
you will, but 

"— 'tis my faitli, that every flower 

Enjoys the air it breathes." 

Why should we not admit that the inferior species 
of life, which exists in the vegetable world, is accom- 
panied by an inferior species of sensation, — of sus- . 
ceptibility to pleasure or pain ? To me it is a suffi. 
cient argument for such a faith, that it honors the 
Creator, by increasing the amount of enjoyment in 
his creation. What to most spectators is yonder 
tree ? A beautiful object indeed, but utterly lifeless 
in any proper sense of the word life. Its existence 
adds no more to the amount of enjoyment in the 
universe, than if it were made of stone. To me, on 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 301 

the contrary, it seems, as the wind waves its branch- 
es, to feel in every leaf the same dehghtful coolness 
that fans so gratefully my own brow. Life, enjoy- 
ment, darts from spray to spray, and penetrates to 
the very centre of the aged trunk. Conceive, then, 
of a forest of such beings. How different is the be- 
lief which represents every leaf and flower through 
the boundless woods, as instinct with pleasure, from 
the cheerless imagination that — here is much good 
timber ! There are many things, too, which to my 
mind confirm this faith. The tendency of leaves 
to turn towards the sun, of roots to penetrate in 
the direction most favorable for obtaining moisture, 
of climbing plants to turn with so much seeming in- 
genuity, first one way, then another, in search of a 
support, and the phenomena of sensitive plants, — 
these things confirm the exis^nce, in the vegetable 
world, of something approaching to animal instinct, 
and which may therefore be combined with some- 
thing approaching to animal feeling. 

Such thoughts, be they well or ill founded, were 
in my mind, when a gentle murmur struck my ear, 
and glancing upward, I saw, above the tops of the 
trees, the object of my curiosity, — the glassy, trans- 
parent stream, rippling and sparkling over the pro- 
jecting brow of a rock, then falling, without other 
interruption, in a pellucid curtain. In an instant I 
dismounted, and penetrating the wood which inter- 
vened, stood amid a scene of Nature's calmest, pur- 
est loveliness. Before me rocks were piled in savage 
majesty ; but their wildness served but to render 
26 



302 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCUESION. 

more beautiful by contrast the lovely stream which 
descended so constant, so mighty, yet so gentle. 
The height of the fall is a hundred and eighty feet, 
and as the rock bends slightly forward, the stream, 
except at either edge, is almost unbroken. Here and 
there, however, shrubs, which have grown in the in- 
terstices of the rocks, extended themselves to catch 
that increasing shower, and broke for an instant the 
glassy curtain, which would reunite directly below 
them. A beautiful effect is produced by the scanti- 
ness of the stream in comparison with the great 
height from which it falls. From its own tenuity 
and the resistance of the air, it is divided before it 
reaches the basin below, and descends in rain-like 
drops. The spray that rises to meet it, sometimes 
assumes the tints of the rainbow, but none was visi- 
ble when I was there. Here and there, where a 
bush or a rocky point had checked the current, 
white foam gleamed in the sun. Before me, at the 
foot of the rock, was the basin which the waters had 
scooped out, and from which, toward one side, the 
stream pursued its way. The woods formed the 
other side of the amphitheatre. Rocks were scat- 
tered in the centre. There was a voice from the 
waters, powerful enough, as sad experience proves, 
to render inaudible even the cry of a perishing vic- 
tim. But so steady, so calm was that voice, and so 
softened was its influence by that of surrounding ob- 
jects and associations, that the impression of still- 
ness prevailed amid the unceasing roar of the cata- 
ract. I sat on a rocky fragment, and gazed in ecs- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 803 

tacy. After the first moments of admiration that left 
room for no other thought, a desire arose to retain 
some memorial of the impressions then received ; and 
with my pencil, and using the rock for a table, I 
sketched a few verses, which, with slight alterations, 
I enclose : 

THE FALLS OF TOCCOA. 

Hail lovehest, purest scene! 
How brightly mingling with the clear, blue sky, 
Thy glancing wave arrests the upward eye, 

Through thy grove's leafy screen. 

Through thy transparent veil, 
And wide around thee, Nature's grandest forms, 
Rocks, built for ages to abide the storms, 

Frown on the subject dale. 

Fed by the rapid stream, 
In every crevice of that savage pile. 
The living herbs, as with a quiet smile, 

Repay the gladdening beam. 



And over all, that gush 
Of rain-drops, sparkling to the noon-day sun ! 
"While ages round thee on their course have run, 

Ceaseless thy waters rush. 

I would not that the bow, 
With gorgeous hues should light thy virgin stream, 
Better thy white and sun-lit foam should gleam 

Thus, like unsullied snow. 

Yes ! thou hast seen the woods 
Around, for centuries rise, decay, and die, 
While thou hast poured thy endless current by 

To join the eternal floods. 



304 NOTES OF A SOUTHERIV EXCrRSIOIT. 

The ages pass away, 
Successive nations rise, and are forgot, 
But on thy brilliant course thou pausest not,. 

Mid thine unchanging spray. 

When I have sunk to rest, 
Thus wilt thou pass, in calm sublimity. 
Then be thy power to others, as to me 

On the deep soul impressed. 

Here does a spirit dwell 
Of gratitude, and contemplation higii, 
Holding deep vmion with eternity. — 

O loveliest scene, farewell ! 

Connected with the fall of Toccoa, is a wild and 
melancholy tradition. During some hostilities, many 
years ago, between the Indians and the whites, a 
small party of the latter were in a situation of some 
peril in the vicinity of these falls. The Indians 
obliged a white woman, who was their prisoner, by 
threats of torture and death, to co-operate with them 
for the destruction of her countrymen. On pretence 
of leading them to a safer position, she induced them 
to trust themselves to her guidance, but insisted on 
the condition that they should blindfold themselves. 

The reason she assigned for this was, that the 
path by which she was to lead them was a secret, 
which she could not permit them to discover with- 
out endangering her own life. She directed them 
to follow her footsteps in single files, and thus pro- 
ceeded with them to the brow of the hill. Here she 
turned aside, but the blinded victims, supposing her 
to be still before them, passed on, and one after an- 



NOTES OF A SOUrHERN EXCURSIOiX. 305 

other fell, and perished on the rocks and in the water 
below, — the roar of the cataract preventing those 
that followed from hearing the cries of those who 
had preceded them. But those cries were heard in 
the imagination of their wicked betrayer. She liv- 
ed many years, but never knew happiness again. " I 
tell the tale as 'twas told to me." How much of it 
is probably true, you can judge as well as I. But 
the story, and the scene to which it is ascribed, pre- 
sent a forcible illustration of the contrast between 
the changeless purity of God's fair creation, and the 
dark crimes which man has committed to desecrate 
it; but, notwithstanding which, 

" Nature still is fair." 

COWETA FALLS, GEORGIA. 

Immediately opposite the beautiful and flourishing 
town of Columbus, in the State of Georgia, on its 
western side, are the Coweta Falls, extending in full 
length across the bold and rapid Chattahouchee, 
which at this place is about one quarter of a mile in 
width. There is no part of the shoal where the wa- 
ter descends more than ten or twelve feet perpendicu- 
lar, as discernible to the eye, though the actual fall 
of water, as measured from its level above and below 
the cataract, is fifteen feet. This happens at various 
places, and in detached shoals, forming to the specta- 
tor, viewing it from either shore, a wide and irregu- 
lar heap of billows, apparently chasing each other 
down the tremendous ledge of rocks, over which they 
26* 



306 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

dash their snow-crested foam. But when viewed 
from below, there seems to be a beautiful and regu- 
lar fall of water, extending the whole width of the 
stream without the slightest variation in height or 
appearance, save an occasional bulge formed by the 
obstruction of some elevated rock. Immediately 
above the eastern side of the cataract is a fine oval 
basin, completely girt round by a fall of water above 
and below it. as well as on its western side, while the 
shore terminates it on the eastern. This is used by 
the citizens as a place of bathing during the beauti- 
ful summer nights of our Southern climate. There 
have been several instances of adventurous, or at 
least unfortunate persons being carried so far out 
towards the rush of waters which skirts the basin 
on the west, as not to be able to regain their balance ; 
in consequence of which they have been swept down 
the watery precipice, swift as an arrow, and in most 
cases never seen or heard of more. Hence the In- 
dian tradition of the " watery spirit," who, they say, 
seduces those unfortunate victims over the cataract, 
and bears them away to its own rocky dell, where 
they live in an entirely altered state of existence 
from our own, never being permitted to return to their 
friends on earth again. Notwithstanding this dread- 
ed demon, however, there have been instances of 
Indian canoes passing over in safety, as well as one 
of a white man, who, slipping from a place called 
" fisherman's rock," while numerous individuals were 
standing around, was never expected to be heard of 
more, when he arose several hundred feet down the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 307 

river, amid the acclamations and congratulations of 
his friends, and was safely borne to land by a canoe 
which happened to be near him, although complete- 
ly exhausted and almost lifeless. 

To one^who has gazed upon and admired the stu- 
pendous cataract of Niagara, the Coweta Fall may 
not possess much of grandeur ; though it certainly 
cannot be made to lose its beauty in comparison with 
any spot on earth. I am convinced that a more 
picturesque scene could not be invented by the most 
fertile fancy than this cascade as viewed from the 
white bridge situated about a quarter of a mile be- 
low it, and taken in conjunction with the romantic 
town on its right. All that the mind can conceive 
of beauty is here depicted in the sight of the setting 
sun, on a calm lovely evening in summer. I once 
participated in the enjoyment of such a scene, when 
the fine promenade, which ran along the banks of the 
river adjacent to the Falls, seemed literally throng- 
ed with people of both sexes, enjoying the pleasant 
and refreshing breeze from the cascade in the mild 
brilliant sunset. The old grove of oaks, that rose ma- 
jestically above the heads of the promenaders, seem- 
ed to smile propitiously upon the scene, and bright- 
en up as the breeze played laughingly among their 
full-grown boughs ; while the brushwood underneath 
them, forming a more useful and shadowy bower im- 
mediately over their heads, reminded me of those 
sweet Arcadian groves where the ancient poets de- 
lighted to court their muses. Gradually peering 
above the latter, and beautifully interspersed among 



308 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

the branches of the former, lay the northern precincts 
of the town, in which may be seen some as stately 
edifices, and built with as good taste, as in many of 
our larger cities. Still further to the right, the wide- 
ly scattered houses, intermingled as yet with many 
of the old forest trees, stretched themselves along, 
till the dense wood arrested their progress, and seem- 
ed as if bidding defiance to the farther progress of 
civilization. In the back-ground the same line of 
tall old oaks and towering pines, forming the same 
" vast contiguity of shade," arrests the attention of 
the spectator, gradually lowering as the eye turns to 
the left, until at length there is a complete indenta- 
tion formed wiiere the bed of the river interposes it- 
self in the distant view of the horizon. Here I 
paused for a moment in admiration of the scene, and 
then, as if led by the lulling sound which issued so 
musically from beneath my gaze, I cast my eyes down- 
ward, and beheld the bright sheet of smooth uninter- 
rupted water, as it moved gently but steadily on- 
ward, to the daring acclivity, over which it was soon 
destined to plunge, and mingle with the foam that 
looked like " snowy hillocks on the dappled stream," 
or turn to the spray which rose so beautifully to the 
evening clouds, on which the colours of the rainbow 
were reflected with prismatic beauty by the brilliant 
light of the setting sun. A few flats and airy skifls, 
with some dusky forms seated in them, were dashing 
across the stream below the Fall, and here and there 
a fisherman might be seen along the margin of the 
liver, intently gazing on his line, while a {gw strag- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 309 

gling swallows occasionally dipped their wings in 
the broad stream before me, and then flitted again 
gaily above the invigorating element. 

I gazed on the scene till the spirit of romance 
gently descended and enshrouded all my mental fa- 
culties. Nor did I awake from my reverie till the 
nightfall had gradually mingled the picturesque scene 
which lay before me, in such a confused mass, as to 
permit me only to behold the grey outline of what 
had seemed before so passingly beautiful. The shrill 
whoop of the Indian hunter on the same side of the 
river which I occupied, and the broad flash of his 
lighted torch across the stream, soon aroused me to 
a sense of my situation, and informed me of the late- 
ness of the hour. Accordingly I re-crossed the beau- 
tiful bridge which led to the town, wondering in my 
mind whether the scene I had beheld was real, or 
only the freak of an over-excited imagination. Min- 
gling with the few lingering amateurs of the retiring 
crowd, I soon found myself dispossessed of the man- 
tle of romance, and comfortably seated at my hotel, 
surrounded by a circle of friends, whom the force 
of circumstances had given me within the limited 
period of a short month. But the impression of 
that beautiful scene still lingers in my memory, af- 
ter an absence of two years, as fresh as though I 
stood upon the same spot, and witnessed anew that 
vivid and inimitable picture of romantic scenery. 

P. 



310 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Scenery on the Chattahouchie, Georgia, 

The scenery of the Hudson has been extolled as 
being the most sublime and picturesque to be found 
in the wide-extended continent of America, and com- 
parable to the most beautiful specimens even on the 
banks of the Rhine. But I doubt not, however, tliat 
in many of the wilder and less frequented portions of 
the States, there may be found scenery, which, if but 
seen as often by persons of taste, and panegyrised 
by as able pens, would rival the far-famed Hudson. 
A day's ramble on the river Chatlahouchie has con- 
firmed me in the above opinion, and 1 am convinced, 
that to one of a poetic fancy, no place is better cal- 
culated to call forth those high and ecstatic feelings 
which none but poets know, than a visit to its wild 
and uncultivated banks. Not only has Nature, with 
an unsparing hand, been lavish to this spot, in elevat- 
ing the towering hill, inserting the craggy rock, and 
placing the bold and beautiful river to meander be- 
neath them ; but here is also to be seen the flowery 
vale, interspersed with numerous specimens from 
Flora's hand. Specimens of unparalleled beauty 
overhang the mossy banks of the river, and skirt 
the brow of the rugged bluff. While, waving over 
them in monarch-like majesty, the elegant magnolia, 
shadowy oak, and loftier and more desolate pine, 
seem to protect them from the blasts of the hurricane, 
and promise succour and shelter from the ever-return- 
ing frosts of October. 

Through such an Eden as this, our little party 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 311 

had wended their way from the environs of Cokim- 
bus for the distance of several miles. We were all 
pedestrians, inasmuch as the river is entirely unna- 
vigable, from the frequency and elevation of its falls, 
which last for more than twenty miles ; and the high 
bluffs and deep ravines are equally unsurmountable 
to horsemen ; from which cause, I doubt not, that 
many, even of the citizens, more especially ladies, 
have been deprived of the pleasure of beholding this 
earthly paradise. 

Till now, each heart had throbbed with the sweet- 
est emotions, for we had been walking through the 
dominions of Flora, where all her woodland delicacies 
were scattered in rich profusion. The beautiful 
ivy, mellifluent honey-suckle, and clambering wood- 
bine, greeted our vision with their varied colors, 
while their odours made us feel and enjoy the senti- 
ment, 

" That hill, and dale, and mossy bank, seemed filled 
With the delightsome flowers of spring, which bloom 
With such superior charms of loveliness 
On the wild margin of the forest lakes, 
And scatter perfume on the desert wind." 

The Goddess of flowers may be worshipped with 
great justness in her artificial temples when she 
adorns the gardens of the rich, but I am better pleas- 
ed to offer up my devotions to nature in her wildest 
simplicity, where the workmanship of the hands 
seems to be purer and more beautiful. 

After admiring this delightful land of birds and 
flowers, we continued to wind our way up the river, 



312 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

crossing such little streamlets as came in our way, 
and clambering over hill and craggy rock, until our 
course was obstructed by an almost perpendicular 
acclivity, which appeared to be several hundred feet 
in length. It did not form an entirely impassable 
barrier to our further progress up the immediate 
bank of the river ; but, being directed by our guide, 
we began to ascend the hill, which we effected by 
pulling up ourselves by the shrubs and undergrowth 
which grew on its sides. When we arrived at the 
summit, the scene which presented itself to our view, 
with the dashing of the rushing waters beneath us, 
and the deep ravine which separated us from the 
mountain on the opposite side of the river, was only 
surpassed by that which we were soon after permit- 
ted to behold, and to which we directed our footsteps. 
The high knoll of land on which we now found 
ourselves, proved to be a kind of promontory, which 
projected for some distance into the course of the 
river, and caused it to wind around its base in a ser- 
pentine manner. We had but a half mile to go to 
complete our intended visit to the Lover's Leap, 
which was situated at the extremity of this promon- 
tory. On our way thither we passed through an 
old Indian field, where once the native sons of the 
forest had tilled the land in imitation of the more 
artful and scientific white man. As we cast our 
eyes on this scene of desolation, and then to the In- 
dian forests, from which we were only separated by 
a river, and thought that ere long those too must be 
given up for other houses and other forests in the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHEKX EXCURSION. 313 

wilds of the West, we could but sympathize with 
them, and feel that they were a hunted and oppressed 
race of men. While at the same time we admired 
the wise dispensations of Providence, which had in* 
stituted the noble principles of Christianity where 
so lately savages and beasts of prey had reigned ia 
universal dominion. 

I shall not attempt to describe my own feelings, 
or the feelings of my companions, on arriving at the 
rocky tower called the Lover's Leap, inasmuch as I 
conceive myself entirely inadequate to the task. 
The simultaneous burst from every bosom was, 
"grand ! beautiful ! inimitable !" Let your readers 
bring to remembrance the effect the painting of Ge- 
neva had upon their minds when first the optical il- 
lusion came over them, and the lake, and river, and 
city were all magnified to their natural sizes, and 
seemed to swim off to their respective distances ; 
and they may, in some degree, imagine our feelings 
on first beholding one of the most magnificent dis- 
plays of scenery which Nature or Art had ever pre- 
sented to our vision. 

We stood on the Lover's Leap, — a high and 
craggy rock, which fretted over the river Chattahou- 
chie, forming the termination of the lofty knoll we 
had just ascended. It takes its name from the tra- 
dition of one of the early frontier settlers, who, des- 
pairing of obtaining the affections of one he loved, 
cast himself from the lofty summit of this craggy 
height into the dismal depth beneath, where he pe- 
rished, a victim of suicide. We stood on the same 
27 



814 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

spot, and cast our eyes far beneath us, where the 
bold and beautiful river, which washes its base, rush, 
ed forward down a ledge of rocks, and sent up to our 
ears the hollow sound of the distant waterfall, which 
one might imagine p oceeded from the gloomy Styx 
or Acheron, from its deep bellowing sound, the echoes 
of which seemed to reverberate from rock to rock 
and from mountain to mountain. A natural dome 
of firm granite, apparently hewn into the most exact 
proportions, as if measured by the line and plummet 
of the artist, extends from the base of the Lover's 
Leap some hundred feet into the river, around which 
it is forced to wind its way through a narrow defile, 
with an almost unparalleled swiftness, forming, at the 
same time, a beautiful curve in the river, which, from 
the continued shoals over which it dashes, and the 
white foam they create, resembled, when viewed from 
our lofty elevation, a streak of snow lying in a deep 
forest of trees, with occasional interception of sable 
spots, apparently thawed by the influences of the 
burning sun. In front, the noble brow of a lofty hill 
rose up majestically to the clouds, which by some 
shock of nature had seemingly been separated for 
some hundred feet into its bosom, from whence 
sprang a large fountain of water, dashing with ma- 
jestic strides down its side, over rocks and every in- 
terposing obstacle, until it reached the vale beneath, 
where, collecting together, the waters ran off in a 
beautiful and placid brook to the bed of the river. 
I cannot imagine a more picturesque scene than 
this cascade, appearing above the very tops of the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 315 

trees of the valley, leaping and skipping with play- 
ful agility down the craggy precipice. To the left, 
the eye views the downward progress of the Chatta- 
houchie, whither its waters move onward to the great 
gulf of Mexico. Nor here is the scenery less poeti- 
cal, or filled with less to entertain the spectator. In 
this direction the stream is as straight as it is rapid, 
and allows the vision to penetrate through the deep 
ravine which follows its course without any obstruc- 
tion, while the towering bluffs, which arise on either 
side with all their forest pride, were seen in majesty 
far above. In the dim distance, and through the 
spray and fog which rises from the Coweta Falls, 
the eye can distinguish the beautiful white bridge 
that crosses the river at Columbus, as well as the 
fine steamers which rest upon its bosom, and which 
serve to bear the produce o^ the country to the great 
waters of the ocean. While to the left some of the 
more elevated and imposing buildings of the town 
itself add not a little to the beauty of the scene ; all 
of which tended to impress upon our mind the much 
admired sentiment of Campbell, 

" Why do those cliffs of shadowy tint appear 
More sweet than all the landscape smiling near 1 
'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, 
And robes the mountain in its azure hue." 

P. 



316 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

THE SOLDIERS' MOUND, 

On the Eastern branch of the Oahnulgee, Georgia, 

Among the many vestiges which the aborigines of 
our country have left behind them, to preserve the re- 
membrance that such beings once existed, none seems 
more properly adapted to the purpose than the nu- 
merous tumuli, or mounds of earth which rise up in 
almost every forest, and say in a language not 
to be misunderstood, " here lie the fathers of a 
once powerful, but now almost extinguished race of 
men." These tumuli, however, do not seem to be 
dedicated to the relics of departed spirits, nor do 
they all contain the bones of human beings. On 
the contrary, many of the largest seem to have been 
erected for a different purpose, if not by a different 
race of men. The smaller ones, however, appear to 
have been used as cemetries for the dead, and con- 
tain not only the bones of human skeletons, but also 
numerous specimens of Indian idolatry, as beautiful 
ruby coloured stones, and such like trifling gewgaws, 
with which their more degenerate sons seem so ex- 
cessively delighted at the present day. The larger 
mounds are much fewer in number, at great distances 
apart, and seem better calculated for the purposes of 
war than the less pompous and more solemn obse- 
quies of burial. Of this class we have a fine speci- 
men about one mile and a half south-east of the city 
of Macon, Georgia, on the eastern branch of the 
Oakmulgee river, significantly called the " Soldiers' 
Mound." 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 317 

Like most curiosities, it has been suffered to lie 
almost unnoticed by persons living in its immediate 
vicinity, though it affords matter of considerable in- 
terest to almost every traveller. Under this prevail- 
ing feeling of apathy, it is enclosed in such a manner 
by fencing as to prevent any person on horseback 
approaching very near it. Consequently our visit- 
ing party were under the necessity of turning pe- 
destrians before they could experience the pleasure 
of beholding it. After crossing the elegant bridge 
which leads from the main town to East Macon, we 
entered a blind and thickly overshadowed pathway, 
which led us immediately down the banks of the 
deep, still Oakmulgee ; and after crossing various 
ditches and fences, and brushing the dew from nu- 
merous leaves and spires of grass, we found our- 
selves emerging from the depth of the dark wood in 
an oblique direction from the banks of the deep river 
into an open field, at the end of which the tumulus 
rears its ancient brow, — a truly isolated spectacle 
when contrasted with the appearance of the flat al- 
luvial country which surrounds it. At the first 
view of the mound I could not conceive tor what 
purpose so enormous a mass of earth could ever 
have been gathered together : yet that it was done 
by human power, the proofs appeared too evident and 
convincing to admit of a well-grounded doubt. Its 
studied situation and exact proportions are not the 
least among these proofs, though it must have been 
the work of years, and reared many years ago. In 
fact, while standing upon its lofty summit, and view- 
27* 



318 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION.' 

ing the surrounding country, one is almost ready to 
imagine it another Babel, the design of whose eleva- 
tion was no less than to pierce the very skies. On 
the ground, however, of some faint historical remi- 
niscences and slight circumstantial evidences, men 
of extensive knowledge and good judgment have 
been led to conjecture the probability of there once 
existing in this Southern clime a half-civilized race 
of men, whose greater ingenuity had prompted them 
to further advances in the arts and sciences than 
the neighbouring tribes of Indians. In fact, we have 
some striking evidences of such a state of things in 
the erection of the " Temple of the Sun" in Mexico. 
That such a race existed, we have but little doubt : 
that they are now extinct, and have been so for 
years, appears to be equally evident. The ultimate 
conclusion appears then to be, that they were des- 
troyed by some hostile, designing foes. Probably 
the envious spirit of the barbarians of the north 
prompted them to bear down upon them like a rush- 
ing torrent from the mountains in the cessation of 
winter and the melting of the snow, verifying, in 
our western and less antiquated world, a similar state 
of things to that which once transpired in the east. 
Hence the erection of the larger tumulus of earth for 
the purpose of protecting and defending the builders 
from the invasions of their enemies, and of the small- 
er ones, for the purpose of interring their fallen sol- 
diery with the honors of war. The Soldiers' Mound, 
as I before stated, must have been reared ages ago, 
inasmuch as there are to be seen growing on its 



TfOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 819 

sides and its summit, very large towering oaks, se- 
veral i^eet in diameter, which look as if they had 
stood the shock of earthquakes, as well as the tem- 
pest's rage, for days innumerous as the leaves that 
flutter on their boughs. The mound itself is several 
hundred feet in diameter at its base, and more than 
a hundred feet in elevation, being neatrly as many 
across the flat surface of its summit. It is built in 
a perfectly pyramidal form, being gradually tapered 
upward from its base in exact proportions through- 
out its circumference. Some individual of a hi^ty 
imagination once planted a garden on its summit, 
which, however, has recently gone into utter decay. 
From this heightjthe view of the surrounding country 
is pleasing and sublime. To the south, a large forest 
of pine, intermingled with occasional patches of oak 
and hickory, is to be seen, through whose dense bodv 
the sluggish Oakmulgee winds its way with slow, 
but steady pace. On the north, old Fort Hill rises 
majestically upwards in gradual ascension from the 
bed of the river, and maintains an elevated station 
among the hillocks which surround it, overlooking 
the village of East Macon, v/hich hes at its foot, and 
bearing on its sloping sides the scattered and newly 
formed village of Troy. On its summit, Fort Haw- 
kins rears her ancient watch towers, some distance 
above her more impregnable walls of defence. It, 
however, at present exhibits quite a dilapidated con- 
dition, much of its wooden structure having gone to 
decay, and many of the bricks being thrown down. 
The beautiful grove of native forest growth, so ele- 



S20 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

gantly pruned by the soldiers more than twenty 
years ago, which covers its brow, is too exquisitely 
romantic to escape the glance of the most careless 
traveller who passes it in the stage. Farther to the 
left, the infant city of Macon* rears its spires and 
elegantly built houses high in air ; while the lofty 
hills which surround it on the west, with their fine 
and numerous edifices, add much to the sublimity of 
the scene. A little to the right of these, the beau- 
tiful village of Pineville may be partially seen 
through the academic grove, which contains a noble 
edifice sacred to the cause of education and science. 
As all absorbing as the surrounding scenery might 
have been to us, there was an object in our imme- 
diate vicinity which attracted much of our attention. 
This was a small mound of earth, with a rough stone 
at its head, bearing the inscription of some almost 
illegible letters upon its face concerning the inter- 
ment of two soldiers,f who were also brothers. 
Their name has entirely escaped my memory, though 
it was rudely carved upon the stone which marked 
their resting place. Their history is short, as told 

me by a young lady of M . During the late 

war with Great Britain and the Indians, a soldier 
belonging to the American camp, at that time sta- 
tioned at Fort Hawkins, which hes about one mile 
north of the mound, was seen to retire to this spot 

* Macon has been incorporated as a city by the Legislature 
of Georgia. It was founded in 1823, and at present contains 
about five thousand inhabitants. 

t Hence the title of the mound. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 321 

in the shades of the evening, and kneel in lonely, si. 
lent devotion. His piety soon became proverbial, 
and his brother, who first discovered him, was much 
affected by it, and afterwards joined him in his ves- 
per oblations to heaven. Ere the removal of the 
army from this station, it was the unfortunate lot of 
the two brothers to fall victims to some epidemical 
disease, as they were both foreigners. In just re- 
membrance of their virtues, their fellow-soldiers 
buried them at the very spot where they had offered 
their daily devotions. 

P. 



EXTRACTS FROM A PRIVATE JOURNAL 

KEPT ON A TOUR 

FROM CHARLESTON TO NEW-YORK ; 

BY FOUR FRIENDS. 



[The following Journal is valuable as furnishing 
an account of one of the land routes from Charleston 
to New-York. It is written with the familiarity of 
private correspondence, and was a jeu (Ves'prit of 
four travellers, who threw out their thoughts on the 
same sheets as inclination prompted. This circum- 
stance will account for any apparent difference in 
the style of various parts. 

There are exhibited on these sheets many points 
of useful information for general readers, and to a 
large private circle these sketches will afford a deep 
though mournful interest, since one of the brightest 
and purest spirits which animated that group has 
gone to her final rest, — has accomplished her brief 
but lovely pilgrimage of life. 

The following lines, written a year or two before 
her death, will show her preparation for intercourse 
with immortals :] 

DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE BODY AND SPIRIT. 

Body.— SY>\xii ! I feel that thou 
Wilt soon depart. 

This body is too weak longer to hold 
The immortal part. 
The ties of earth are loosening — 

They will break ; 
And thou — even as a joyous bird. 
Thy flight will take 

To the eternal world. 
Say, spirit ! say ! 

Wilt thou return again"? once more illume 
My house of clay 1 
28 



326 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

Or must this body, which has been to thee 
A temple and a dwelling-place, 
Perish foi'ever — and forgotten hel 
Spirit. — Yes ! I must leave thee. 
I am longing 

For the communion of those blessed ones 
Within the courts of heaven, 
Who tune their golden harps 
To the eternal praise of Him, who gives 

That home above — 
Which they have gained, and which I would attain. 
Through Him who came to prove 

That God is Love : 
And by Him too, I know that thou, 

My earthly tenement, 
Within the dust must lie, 
And there, turn to corruption, 
Even as the seed doth die. 

To be revived again. 
Death hath no power o'er the soul, 
For Christ hath conquered — 
The grave cannot retain its victims 
When He cries — come forth ! 

Then I return to thee — 
The victory is gained — 
For " Christ hath made usfree.^^ 



EXTRACTS FROM A JOURNAL. 

The Private Conveyance, 

How shall we get from Charleston to Columbia ? 
This was a question that was seriously discussed by 
our little party, just setting out on a journey. We 
had planned the after-part of our tour, deciding that 
we would waltz our way northward, avoiding a 
straight line as far as was consistent with some sort 
of tendency to a fixed point. But how were we to go 
from Charleston to Columbia ? There was a river 
and a steam-boat, but the water was low, and the 
boat was sometimes detained for several days among 
the swamps and rice-grounds, where we should be 
sure to take the country-fever. There was a rail- 
road, not exactly to Columbia, but to another place 
that would answer our purpose as well, and we 
might be whirled there in the space of marvellously 
few hours. But some of us loved our lives too well 
to risk them on a structure so frail, that it seemed 
a mere "tempting of Providence."* 

* If our tourists had chosen the quiet, easy whirl of the rail 
car, we should have been deprived of the lively narrative of 
their broken wheel and foundered horses. 



328 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

At last it was all arranged, and one clear and 
cloudless Monday morning we set out with fair pro- 
spects. We were four — two ladies, two gentlemen 
— all equable, amiable, just the sort of people nature 
formed for travellers. We just filled a commodious 
carriage, and our effects perfectly and harmoniously 
fitted into the external space. Two horses, strong 
and steady, were our moving principle ; and to per- 
petualize the motion, two others had preceded them 
the day before, and waited for us at a suitable dis- 
, tance. Oar driver was trusty Joe, a discreet and 
respectable old negro. As he figures in our story, it 
may be well to individualize him to inquirers into our 
adventures. He was short and thick, with a curve 
of the lower limbs that would have been ludicrous, if 
the effect had not been counteracted by an awfully 
sedate expression of countenance. His face was a 
labyrinth of wrinkles, in which, not age, but a sense 
of responsibility, had bewildered and lost itself; and 
yet it seemed alert, as if it was looking for the way 
out. Honest Joe ! how we enjoyed the look of 
careful satisfaction with which he took his seat af- 
ter all was rightly disposed ; it augured well for the 
journey, that we resigned ourselves to pleasant cer- 
tainty that all would go right. It was not dusty, it 
was not uncomfortably warm, it was early ; we 
should be forty miles before sunset, far among the 
hills, and elevated above all swamps, bogs, and dread 
of low-land fevers. The early sunbeams lay in lines 
of ruddy splendour on our path, as we parted from 
our last friend, who had accompanied us ten miles on 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 329 

our road. We rode on ; tall trees cast their shadows 
over us, and the long grey moss swung in the plea- 
sant breeze. Hour after hour we passed over miles 
after miles — slowly, for we rode over a sand-bed, but 
surely, oh full surely. 

Ah! Ah! what was that? Was it? Why yes, it 
was a little slipping of the tire of the wheel, and we 
had no hammer and nails to fix it all right, but a wedge 
would do ; it would hold till we could reach a house. 
We rode on, but with a new feeling — a slight sense of 
care. There was another crack, and we concluded to 
walk to the house which was in sight. The road was 
bordered by Swamp magnolia and Honey-Suckles, but 
a deep ditch of stagnant water lay between, and none 
of our little party seemed in spirits to leap the ditch, 
and gather them. We reached the house, and there 
it was decided that our case required a smith ; but 
as none was to be had just there, we must move on 
carefully till we found one. 

As our gentlemen and Joe were operating upon 
the wheel to the best of their abilities, M. and J. en- 
tered into conversation with the landlady. She 
was a long, lank, sallow body, the image of despair. 
She said the country about was dreadfully sickly ; 
she had lost one husband, all her children, and did 
not think she could live long herself. This was 
cheering, supposing the wheel could not be mended. 
At last we were called out to take our seats. The 
wheel was bandaged with a leather-strap round and 
round. Joe shut the door after us, looking at the 
wheel as he did so. The wrinkles were deep, and 
38* 



330 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSIOrf. 

his whole face contracted ; but he mounted the box 
and drove on, only very slowly. Round and round 
it went, like the other wheels. We began to feel bet- 
ter, it would do till we could reach the blacksmith's, 
and then we should be another hour or two later in 
reaching our lodging-place, but that would be all. 
It was twelve o'clock, the sun powerful, the sand 
deep, the shade that had bordered the roadside gone, 
— a crack ! stop ! stop ! Joe ! and stop he did ; but 
not a moment too soon, for the spokes had parted, and 
in another moment we should all have been upset. 
Here was perplexity ! After a little consultation the 
horses were taken out, one was tied to the carriage 
behind, and Joe was mounted on the other, and sent 
for assistance. We propped up the carriage, and 
resigned ourselves to sit in it, and wait for deliver- 
ance. An hour passed on ! The heat was over- 
powering ! We said little, but every eye was strain- 
ed in the direction from which we hoped for aid. 
At last a cloud of dust was seen. A figure, which 
we knew for Joe, first emerged, and something seem- 
ed to be following him. We gazed earnestly, until 
it took the shape of a wagon, and came rattling and 
lumbering towards us. It was a farcical convey- 
ance ! — A rough, loosely-put-together road wagon, 
long, and covered at the sides to meet a very high 
back and front, with half a dozen chairs dancing about 
in its immensity of space. The harness was inde- 
scribable, being composed partly of rattling chains, 
and partly of knotted ropes. And then the steeds ! — 
One was a tall wreck of a bay horse, on which a rag- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 331 

ged, dirty negro was mounted ; and one was a small, 
active mule, tied on to help as much as he could. The 
negro held him by a bridle, and he came jumping 
on to keep up with the tall horse's strides. It halt- 
ed ; three trunks, four carpet bags, two ladies, were 
transferred into its expanse ; and the two gentlemen 
seated themselves with open umbrellas, and gave 
the signal for motion. We cast a look behind ; a 
supernumerary chair, and the broken wheel, hung 
swinging at the back of our vehicle. There stood our 
carriage, resting in quiet magnificence on a crutch ; 
while three negroes rode abreast of us, raising a 
cloud of dust behind them. These were Joe, and 
tv/o assistants, riding on the carriage horses, and one 
of our relays. After two or three miles, we drew up 
at a house of entertainment. The wheel was despatch- 
ed to a blacksmith's a mile further, and we alighted. 
We found ourselves in the very palace of intempe- 
rance and unthrift, — an idle landlord— a silly, lazy 
landlady — stupid servants. But then it was not of 
much consequence, as it was only for an hour or 
two ; when the wheel was mended we should push 
on rapidly with our fresh horses, that were here 
waiting for us. We had some dinner. We grew 

impatient, for Dr. had charged us, as we valued 

our lives, to go forty miles from Charleston that 
night ; and here we were, many miles short. The 
sun went down ! the twilight deepened into night, 
and still the wheel came not ! 

Mr. A went to investigate, and we had then a 
cause of anxiety in his exposure to the noxious night 



332 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

air. A servant came to light a fire on the hearth, 
a precaution that plainly contradicted the assurance 
that every body considered the place perfectly healthy. 
The frogs sent up loud and shrill croaks all about us, 
a sure proof that we were surrounded by swamps. 
The windows were broken, the dim flame of the 
candle flickered, and we fancied we felt the malaria 
and breathed infection. Oh what an hour ! Some 
fine black-berries were on the table ; we tried to taste 
them, we tried to look cheerful, and to talk. At last 

Mr. A came in. The wheel was mended, but we 

must resign ourselves to our fate for the night, and if 
all were well in the morning, we would proceed ; that 
some one would be ill, we expected, for we had de- 
cided that it would be almost a miracle if all should 
escape. Let no one ridicule our fears ; there was 
ground for apprehension. We had been told to flee 
as if the pestilence were behind us. No wonder 

that we lay down to sleep with heavy hearts. B 

said he would sit up all night, having heard that the 

only danger was in sleeping. M and I suffocated 

ourselves with a roaring fire to purify our portion 
of the atmosphere. Morning came, and we looked 
on ourselves and each other, to be sure that all was 
as well as it seemed. We waited awhile for the fogs 
to disperse, and set off. George, a more comely 
but equally sedate negro, was our driver now ; and 
Joe followed us a few miles with the extra horses. 
At the breakfast house we exchanged the animals, 
and bade honest Joe farewell. It would have done 
any heart good to see how the wrinkles had been 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 333 

slackened since the accident. His eyes actually 
glistened with animation as he looked his last on us, 
and felt the responsibility of our safe conveyance 
lifted off his shoulders. Though the weather was 
warm, and our ride about twice the length we origin- 
ally intended, that day passed pleasantly, the wheel 
seemed strong. Night came on, and brought us to 
a certain Mr. 's, a great barn of a house, the mis- 
tress absent, and he idle and moody in his " solitude." 
He was a youth, and perhaps longed for some better 
companion than his absent mother. Let silence and 
oblivion cast a veil over the wretchedness of our en- 
tertainment ; the sour bread, the sour milk, the broken 
tea-cups, the leaden spoons. Let forgetfulness take 
into her keeping the long dark chambers to which 
we were consigned for the night ! Let the reports 
of country fever, and all manner of diseases, even to 
the measles, that excited anew our scarcely laid ap- 
prehensions, never be recalled. 

What cheering intelligence greeted us next morn- 
ing, as we appeared with our bonnets on, all ready 
to ride ! One of our horses was foundered ; he had 
met with his misfortune some years before, but had 
been considered good enough for our purpose, and 
his exertions of the day before had brought on a 
second attack. What was to be done 1 Our host 
at length consented to lend us a horse for the next 
ten miles, and we started. On we went, stopping at 
every house to try for a horse, admonished thereto 
by the little boy sitting beside George on the box, 
ready to take the other back as soon as his place 



331 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

should be supplied. We found only women and chil- 
dren in every house ; the men were in the fields. 
This betokened industry, and we should have com- 
mended it at any other time ; but now we wanted to 
hire a horse, and no woman could venture to accom- 
modate us. We stopped at the end of the ten miles, 
mounted our retainer, despatched him home and con- 
sidered. The stage would leave Columbia the 

next morning, and not again for several days. On 
we must go. We stated our case to " mine host," he 
stated it to his neighbors, and at last, after prolonged 
preliminaries, and solemn injunctions to take care of 
him, a horse was procured. On we went till noon, 
more at ease, and remarking the beauty of the coun- 
try, and the improved appearance of cultivation. Cot- 
ton fields and corn fields, hills and running streams, 
spoke of health and comfort. About noon we ap- 
prehended a thunder shower, and moreover held a 
consultation over the wheel, which showed incipient 
symptoms of a relapse. But we went on, kept in 
advance of the rain, and at last lost all trace of 
it. As the sun began to decline, and the miles to 
grow fewer, our spirits rose. The Oak, Hickory, 
Chesnut, and Chinkapen trees never looked so fresh 
and lovely, — the fields of grain were never so vivid- 
ly green as in the level rays of that sunset ; and 
when from a high hill we caught a distant view of Co- 
lumbia, we drew a long breath of perfect satisfaction. 
We rolled slowly over the covered bridge that crosses 
the Congaree at this place, turning our heads every 
moment to enjoy from the windows on both sides 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 335 

the picture of a rapid foaming river, wooded islands, 
and green banks, feeling as light of heart as if we 
had never known care. We were soon set down at 
Clark's, and George and the carriage left us to return 
no more. 

The Stage Coach, 

How glad we were, when on the 20th of May we 
seated ourselves in the leathern convenience which 

was to convey us on the rest of our journey. 

The feeling of responsibility belonging to the care 
of the private conveyance was at an end ; horses, 
driver, and carriage were no longer our concern ; 
and with a feeling of satisfaction we took our places, 
gave a parting glance at Columbia, that we might 
say we had seen it, and at five o'clock in the morn- 
ing drove off at a rapid rate, greatly enjoying the 
elastic motion given by four brisk horses. We found 
a new companion, a foreigner, very polite and agree- 
able, who reported himself from Amsterdam, travel- 
ling for pleasure ; evidently taking, with great good 
nature, things as they came, careless of trouble where 
information or amusement was to be gained, and well 
acquainted with various countries of Europe which 
he had visited. 

We had much pleasant conversation, during which 
we found he had travelled much in our country, and 
knew it well. Dined at a log-house, the external 
appearance of which promised little, but the two 
rooms which composed the dwelling were neat and 
clean. Books, papers, hunting implements, and a 



336 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

fine, fat, rosy baby, laughing good-humouredly in 
its cradle, told us, as plainly as such things could, 
that the master and mistress had enjoyments beyond 
the daily drudgery of life. They were a good-look- 
ing couple, and gave us a plain but decent dinner, 
much better got up than usual ; which we all attribu- 
ted to the personal exertions of the hostess, who did 
not leave us to the care of servants, but attended to 
the management of the establishment herself. Had 
a pleasant drive that day — ''pottered" a good deal, 
and read Fanny Kemble — reached Newberry about 
5 P. M. 



The Blue Ridge. 

Enlivened by the clear and full-toned notes of the 
stage-horn, and assured that our driver was a first- 
rate whip, we left Greenville in full spirits, anticipat- 
ing a day of much interest and amusement. The 
glories of the Blue Ridge had been vividly depicted 
to us, and in faith that all would be right, we com- 
menced the first of June. There were various rea- 
sons, too, for satisfaction ; we were alone in the stage, 
and whether or not the feeling be selfish, yet true it 
is that we cared not for any addition to our numbers. 
We had a self-satisfied feeling, which, as the poet 
hath it, 

" Cared not for the world without, 
Knowing it had its world within." 

Moreover, our effects, baskets, books, port-folios, 



Js^OTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 337 

&;c., were all snugly deposited. Their fair propor- 
tions were not diminished in any way, and if they 
could have spoken, they would doubtless have express- 
ed their comfort, and protested against any innova- 
tion. Merrily went we on, the lamps attached to the 
carriage cast a flickering light on the passing ob- 
jects ; and once, when we stopped to water the horses, 
threw their glare on the face of our driver, display- 
ing a good-natured rosy rotundity of Phiz, which 
told more of the roguish boy than the age and so- 
briety desirable in one holding so responsible a sta- 
tion. But our landlord said he was a " first-rate 
whip," — so we went on in faith. 

Day dawned, and the long line of mountains 
stretched on our right its dark outline, coldly con- 
trasted with the fair blue sky, from which, serene 
and bright in its silver beauty, shone out the morn- 
ing star. Nature was scarce awakened into con- 
sciousness, the giant of the course had not yet put 
on his robes of glory, and this fair herald of the 
morn sat quietly watching for his appearance, be- 
fore whose more effulgent beams she retired in maid- 
en modesty. — 



And 



On wings of glory, up the east he shines," 

giving, as it M^ere, a renewed energy to our Jehu's 
whip ; for rapidly and more rapid went our steeds, 
while we rode up to the humble door of the widow 
F****'s. Here we were to breakfast ; and the exter- 
nals, though plain, promised fairly. There was an air 
29 



338 NOTES OP A SOUTHEIIN EXCURSIOI!?. 

of neatness about the premises, and on a chair at 
the door lay a large old Bible, which looked as if it 
had not been opened for the first time that morning. 
The widow was a trig old lady, who gave us a good 
breakfast ; she had lived there, she told us, thirty -nine 
years, had lost her companion many years since, but 
she had much to be thankful for in her solitude. 

But ladies, said she, how do you like your driver ? 

Oh exceedingly, we answered ; he is a first-rate 
whip. 

Well, exclaimed she, I'm glad on't ; it's only the 
second time he ever drove. 

There was a discovery ! we gazed upon the widow, 
and upon each other, and internally congratulated 
ourselves upon our safety, and rejoiced in the posses- 
sion of an all-confiding faith. 

Another driver and fresh horses waited the con- 
clusion of our meal, which was rapidly discussed, 
and, much strengthened by the creature-comforts we 
had appropriated, we took our seats ; and having 
exchanged adieus with our good-humored and reck- 
less boy driver, went on our way on a very rough 
road, over the very stony parts of which our driver 
would " tote" us to the sound of his whip. Merrits- 
ville was down on the map ; of course it must be a 
place of more or less consequence, and we looked out 
for Merritsville. Eighteen miles were gone over, 
and a house by the way-side proved the 'place so no- 
ticed on the map and so desired by us. 

We began to ascend the Saluda Mountain ; the 
road was very rough and winding, and our horses 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 339 

gave evident symptoms of weariness. The thick 
woods on either side were dressed in their light and 
dark shades of green interspersed with the wild yel- 
low honey-suckle, displaying its rich blossoms in 
every direction, and discovering here and there 
many a humble flower half hidden by the grass, or 
peeping out as if in wonder at the sounds which dis- 
tracted its tranquillity. The giant of the heavens 
was putting forth his strength, and we were drooping 
beneath his power, when lo ! water in the wilder- 
ness, clear and sparkling, cold and pure from its 
granite basin, gave life to our failing energies, and 
told that some philanthropic spirit had, in kindness 
to the way-faring, furnished this blessed beverage to 
recruit the fainting traveller. 

The water of this spring is brought through pipes 
a short distance down the hill, and spouting through a 
stop in its granite slab, falls into a basin of the same 
material. On the slab is the simple and modest 
inscription, " J. R. P. 1823." For this conveyance 
and luxury, travellers are indebted to Joel R. Poin- 
sett, Esq. of Charleston, who, being a commissioner 
for making the road, erected this fountain at his pri- 
vate expense. Much refreshed, we continued our 
drive, the road becoming every moment more rough 
and difficult of ascent. The scenery was as wild 
and beautiful as imagination could picture ; hill and 
valley lay before us ; the sparkling waters of the 
Saluda river, which takes its rise in this mountain, 
were rushing past like a silver stream, now wider, 
now narrower, and dashing in foam over the rocks 



340 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

which intercepted its passage. Above, the heavy 
clouds were slowly and awfully gathering in their 
strength, and nature around lay in that stillness 
which awaits some dreadful event. There was a 
corresponding silence within the coach, except when 
it gave a heavy lurch to one side, warning us to 
hold up on the other. This revolution was not un- 
frequent, and we were being well drilled into the ex- 
ercise, when a sudden plunge towards the horses, set 
them off, and down the moimtain they tore. For- 
getful of their weariness, careless alike of their own, 
or the necks of those who came after them, they 
pitched us about without mercy ; and with a preci- 
pice on one side of the narrow road, our visions 
were not of the most elevated nature, but, like other 
visions, they passed rapidly, and we were soon after 
brought up at Flat Rock, where we had a good din- 
ner and a pretty woman in our hostess. This is a 
pleasant, retired, cool looking place ; and in its im- 
mediate neighbourhood are several handsome houses, 
the retreat of Charlestonians, who come here in the 
summer to rusticate. 

Among others, we passed the residence of Mr. Bar- 
ing ; saw the house in the distance, extensive grounds 
handsomely laid out, and on an eminence near the 
road a pretty church of the Episcopal order, erected 
by Mrs. Baring. We stopped to water the horses, all 
feeling weary, and little able to encounter the storm 
which was encompassing us ; and sure enough it 
came an "even down power" of rain, accompanied 
with thunder and lightning, and such hail stones ! 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 341 

Night approached ; our best light was from the flash- 
es lent by the heavens, and yet we had to plod on. 
Thus we went for several miles, when the rain (from 
which the cloaks and coats in which we were en- 
shrouded, scarcely protected us) abated, and, after 
dragging on some distance further, we arrived at 
Ashville. 

French Broad River. — Paint Rock. 

We had heard of the French Broad River, a tri- 
butary of the Tennessee, as singularly romantic in 
its passage among the Alleghany Mountains ; and the 
ride along its banks had been represented to us very 
fatiguing and somewhat dangerous ; so that, when 
summoned to take our places in the stage-coach, we 
felt an unusual degree of excitement. It was two in 
the morning, very dark, and the coach crowded. 

As day approached, I perceived that beyond the 
row of trees and shrubs that bordered my side of the 
road, there seemed a deep precipice, and the murmur 
that had for an hour risen from behind this thick hedge, 
began to deepen into the dash and roar of waters. 
On turning an angle of the road, we had our first view 
of the river, and for an hour I saw nothing but the 
river, for I felt that I could never be satisfied with 
watching its endless variety of motion. The whole 
course of the French Broad is over a bed of rocks, 
and there is a body of water sufficient to give gran- 
deur to the rapidity of its descent. During the thir- 
ty-six miles we followed it, the fall is 1300 feetf and 
its whole surface is a sheet of foam, from its impe- 
29* 



342 NOTES OF A SOUTHER:^^ EXCURSIO^f. 

tupsity, and the obstacles it meets. Masses of white 
and pale gray rock, in'^every variety of form, stand 
up in the channel, and brave the angry dashing of 
the waters they oppose. Here, after one leap of 
ten or twelve kei, the river keeps a comparatively 
tranquil course, over hidden rocks, till a group of 
green islands parts it into as many channels, and 
then suddenly re-uniting the whole combined force, it 
is bent upon a ledge of rocks that extends half way 
from shore to shore. Here an elevation from one 
side turns the current into a curve, and the next mo- 
ment we have a dashing wave breaking beside us. 
I fixed my eyes on a little flake of foam that was 
pursuing its course alone. I followed it as it was 
borne along by the winding current. I saw it safely 
carried down the rapids, around high rocks, till it 
danced round and round the verge of a whirlpool, 
and left it there at play with a withered leaf and a 
broken twig. Was it not like the beings who for- 
get the urgent errand of their immortality among the 
trifles of time ? I saw a fallen tree, that maintained 
its place by a hold on the bank, and amid this rush 
and confusion lay tranquilly intent on collecting 
what it might ; straws, leaves, and even drifted blos- 
soms had fallen into its toils, and it would not let them 
go. Are there not beings, who, like the tree, are in- 
tent only on accumulating, and indifferent to the 
chances and changes of time, except as they add to 
their stores 1 I saw one long, low, and fairy island, 
so covered with laurel flowers, mingled with green 
graceful foliage, that I could have fancied one huge 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 343 

bouquet bound up and cast here to float along the tide. 
But my fancies and morahzings were interrupted by 
exclamations from my companions, and my own 
awakened sense, that in seeing all this beauty we 
were encountering some peril. The road we were 
passing over was entirely artificial — a wall of broken 
rocks lightly covered with earth, so very narrow that 
our wheels almost dipped in the water, and often 
carried so high from the river, that a deviation of a 
foot from the path would have been destruction. 
M , and all on her side of the coach, were exclaim- 
ing about the immense rocks that overhung the other 
side of the road, and my glimpses of them through 
the window realized something of their fearful gran- 
deur ; but after I was fully awake to the danger of 
the path, I could not keep my^eyes from the brink. 
Our stranger ladies were groaning and expressing 
their fears, and one gentleman was holding forth on 
all that might happen. I questioned him about the 
road, and learned, that until the last eight years, 
there had been no outlet for the produce of East 
Tennessee, or inlet for the good things from abroad, 
to the unhappy people imprisoned there ; that a pas- 
sage over the mountain was sometimes attempted, but 
it was death to men and horses. Under this state of 
things, a company was incorporated to construct a 
road over a certain mountain, and along the French 
BroadRiver,andsucceeded,after several years' labour 
and immense expenditure. Most of the foundation of 
the river-road had been forced from the cliffs above 
by blasting, and that in places where the task seem- 



344 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed hopeless. He said it was already a very profit- 
able undertaking, for the number of wagons passing 
over this turnpike every year was immense, and that 
without this road he would not give one cent for East 
Tennessee. He seemed a very sensible sort of man, 
but he ought not to have enlarged so on our danger, 
and pointed out every rock that stood loosely over 
our heads, and might fall very easily. We all tried 
to forget our fears, and there was enough of interest 
to help us. The water's edge was bordered with 
young willows, oaks, and tall trees of laurel in full 
bloom. The Rhododendron was not yet in flower, 
but it stood in heavy masses of green-pointed leaves. 
I had no idea of such quantities, or of the height to 
which it grew. Many of the trees were fifteen or 
twenty feet in length. 

The wet leaves often dashed in our faces, but we 
rather welcomed them, for we felt that the trees 
would be a slight barrier to our fall in case we should 
be jolted off the edge. The extreme loneliness of the 
road struck me as singular. Now and then an over- 
grown toad hobbled off at the rattling of our wheels, 
and once we saw a solitary fisherman, seated on a 
log, so intent on his occupation that he did not raise 
his head to look at us. It did not surprise me to 
find no inhabitants where there was not a level spot 
for a house, but I was expecting and dreading an en- 
counter with other travellers. I do not know what 
can be done in that case, for the road is too narrow 
to admit of vehicles passing, or even turning about. 
At last we came to the breakfast house, which stood 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 845 

ill a niche apparently forced out of the rock. And 
here, owing to an important change in my situation 
to the opposite window of the coach, an entire revo- 
lution in my train of ideas commenced. The scene 
of danger from below was no longer forced upon me, 
and if I might have apprehended a greater danger 
from above, the fear was lost in the grandeur of the 
objects I beheld — rocks, massive ancient rocks, in 
every variety of form, and hue, and position. Here 
they towered hundreds of feet above our heads, with 
their grey severity unrelieved by even a twig or a 
leaf. Here was a vast rock, worn smooth, and round- 
ed by its descent from some high point above, rest- 
ing now on some slight obstruction, ready to move 
on without a moment's warning. Here was a mass 
of rock, worn into little fragments by the action of 
the elements, still retaining its show of solidity, but 
falling in a shower of pebbles at every touch. The 
arrangement of the strata of rocks varied at every 
step. Here stood a range, which was almost as regu- 
larly perpendicular as columns, or as the volumes 
on the shelves of a library. Here they lay, like the 
books that have fallen when two or three have been 
removed ; and here again they were piled one above 
another, like the same books reposing on a table. 
Under some of the largest rocks, and where they 
seemed to need the strongest support, yawned cavi- 
ties large enough to have received stage and horses. 
Often the eye was refreshed by the rich green of the 
shrubbery, covering all the ruggedness of the cliffs, 
and waving from the top. Bright wild flowers peep- 



346 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ed from the rugged crevices, and laughed at their se- 
curity from all our attempts. One little crimson 
flower attracted our particular admiration, and for 
want of a better name we called it the scarlet lichen. 
There were many beautiful little streams that came 
leaping from the rocks above, and dashed over the 
narrow road into the river. In one spot we traced 
the little stream from its first trickling descent, down 
five or six successive falls, till it was received in a 
natural basin, and afforded a delicious draught for us 
and the horses. I must not forget one or two at- 
tempts to take agricultural advantage of a little soft- 
ening down of ruggedness of the mountain side. 
The scattered grain stood up among young oaks 
and cedars, as if it was frightened at its own teme- 
rity. At last, after being successively delighted and 
alarmed for many hours, we crossed the roaring 
river on a frail bridge, to look for a few moments 
at the warm spring, which is remarkable for nothing 
but its temperature. We recrossed the river, and 
took the narrow path once more ; but, instead of be- 
ing simply as dangerous as it was before, it now be- 
gan to ascend the cliff* only wide enough for the 
wheels, so that a foot of deviation would have car- 
ried us over the brink. The road rose gradually 
till the cliff* above diminished into nothing compar- 
ed with the precipice below, and our hearts seemed 
for a few moments to stop beating. We were moving 
along the verge of a precipice of more than 300 
feet. The river was roaring and foaming at its 
foot. To add to the terrors of the place, the road 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 347 

had been much washed, and shelved fearfully. In 
one spot the outer wheel entered a deep rut : the 
whole body of the coach hung over the precipice, 
the inner wheels were raised from the ground ; one 
inch more of elevation, and we were gone. But the 
dangerous pass was soon accomplished, and we rode 
on in comparative tranquillity. We went on follow- 
ing the river till nearly sunset, when we came un- 
der the walls of the celebrated Paint Rock. We 
had heard of the singular appearance of this rock, 
from several marks of a deep orange colour, so arti- 
ficial as to seem the work of man, and yet in such 
places as seemed inacccessible. But we were not 
prepared for the imposing effect of the vast pile un- 
der which we found ourselves. For nearly a quar- 
ter of a mile it rose above us a perpendicular wall 
of 250 feet in height. The solid unbroken surface 
was yet so checkered by apparent fissures, that it 
seemed hewn and heaped up by human labor ; and it 
needed but little effort of the imagination to see in it 
a frowning Gothic castle, with battlements and arch- 
ed door-way. In one spot, under a projection of the 
rock, the wagoners had fitted a temporary shelter ; 
and the smoke of their frequent fires had blackened 
over the whole line of upward surface. We turned 
the corner of this vast monument, and bade farewell 
to the river, and moved and breathed in Tennessee. 



348 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

The Red Sulphur, the Salt Sulphur, and the White 
Sulphur Springs, 

About 6 o'clock in the evening we had the satis- 
faction of seeing below us the white cottages and 
green lawns which fill up the litfle sequestered valley 
of the Red Sulphur Springs. In a quarter of an 
hour we were dashing round the circle before the 
hotel, and in a few minutes more took possession of 
quarters in " Philadelphia Row." 

What deepest green valley the wide earth knows, 
Once offered four wearied wanderers repose, 
Where o'er a cool fount a white temple rose'? 

'Twas the R-ed Sulphur Springs. 

I Fair white buildings are ranged round the green, 
Clean gravel walks run these buildings between, 
Groups of gay people around are seen, 

Oh ! the Red Sulphur Springs. 

Buxom blithe health flies to sip at the fount. 
Sickness so feebly comes down from the mount, 
The grave and the gay, quite too many to count, 
Meet to drink at the Springs. 

Here are belles from the city, with beaux in their train, 
Here are dowager dames, here are pretty and plain, 
Health, pleasure, or fortune, each one tries to gain. 
So they come to the Springs. 

Whatever the motive of feeling, which brings 
To this spot all these bipeds, you'd think they had wings, 
For they fly the moment the dinner bell rings. 
Fast away from the Springs. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 349 

And dressed in their gayest, as quick as they're able, 
They seek for their names or their plates at the table, 
And }nake such a racket you'd think 'twas a Babel 
Rose anew at the Sprin^^s. 

Do but see that thin lady, what mouthfuls she takes ; — 
And waiter 1 stop, waiter, some more batter-cakes, 
Some cream, and the butter, those venison steaks 
I must eat at the Springs. 

Who would think of their ailments when luxury lies 
So temptingly near us, just under our eyes'? 
Oh waiter, those batter-cakes ; — how the man flies, 
They're all mad at the Springs. 

But avaunt, creature comforts ! we'll turn now from you, 
To the joys of the mind, which in visits we knew, 
And which over our mornings and afternoons threw 
A delight at the Springs. 

Then we sat in our room ; we worked, talked, and read, 
Our table with books and with needle-work spread ; 
It was yet in more style that withal was a bed, — 
'Twas the way at the Springs. 

We trod the piazza both early and late. 
But 'tis useless on joys that are past to dilate, 
Since too soon came the day on which 'twas our fate 
To leave the Red Springs. 

Let all who seek health, with comfort and quiet, 
Let the gay who love pleasure without any riot, 
Come down this steep mountain, and hasten to try it. 
They'll like the Red Springs. 

We left the Red Sulphur at 6 o'clock on Thursday 
morning, after enjoying a comfortable little breakfast 
sent to us in our own room ; we were the only passen- 
30 



350 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

gers, and set off with an agreeable prospect of reach- 
ing Fincastle by Sunday. We rode on, passing 
over rough roads and dangerous places that would 
have frightened us before we had passed over worse. 
We stopped at the Salt Sulphur Springs, seventeen 
miles from the Red, tasted the water, but were not 
in suitable trim to test the grounds of the reputation 
this house enjoyed. Ranges of white-washed log 
cabins are scattered over a bright green enclosure, 
but the natual beauties of the situation are far infe- 
rior to those of the Red Spring. We dined at a 
thorough temperance house, with a smiling landlord ; 
and after passing over seven miles of noted rough 
road, found ourselves on the five miles of smooth 
turnpike, near the White Sulphur Springs. The 
inferiority of accommodation at this fashionable 
watering-place had been fully set before us, and we 
had no intention of staying longer than till the first 
stage-coach should depart for Fincastle. Contra, 
ry to the positive assurance of the Agent, we found 
we should be detained till Monday, and in utter des- 
pair we resigned ourselves to all the ills of our situation. 
We were a spectacle, from the mud which pelted us 
in great balls all day, and we were ushered into a 
drawing-room in which the ladies were collected pre- 
paratory to a rush into the tea room, and were kept 
two hours waiting for rooms to be arranged. 
There we had the mortification of being recogniz- 
ed by some of our fashionable acquaintance. We 
returned to the drawing-room after tea, and wit- 
nessed a display of dress and airs much after the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 351. 

fashion of Saratoga, and saw the company scat- 
ter over the grounds for an evening walk. The 
extensive rows of low white buildings in every 
direction, and the rich green of the trees and 
grass, make the view pleasant, though there is 
not much wildness of scenery. After waiting till 
candle-light, word was sent us that our cabin was 
not ready, but we could go over if we chose ; we 
sat a short time on the piazza, until the window 
sashes could be put into their places, and many pre- 
liminaries could be settled about bedsteads and bed- 
ding ; and at last, after five hours waiting for a room, 
composed ourselves for the night, heedless of the at- 
tractions of the gay saloon. It rained powerfully 
the next morning ; we ladies breakfasted in our own 
room, and dined there also, not liking to walk through 
the long wet grass. We passed the day quietly, 
sewing and writing, as if we were any where but in 
the midst of the gaieties of a celebrated watering- 
place. 

Owing to the numerous visiters at the White Sul- 
phur Springs, and our consequent scanty accommo- 
dations, we gladly accepted a proposal that we should 
depart sooner than we had expected, in a new and 
very elegant coach, running for the first time to 
Lexington. We proceeded as far as Callahan's, fif- 
teen miles, to pass the first night. We sat down at a 
plentiful table, and feasted to our hearts' content. 
At breakfast, a party of travellers entertained us 
with an account of a recent upset ; they soon drove 
off, and our coach came to the door. We were go- 



352 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ing to take our seats, when the horses gave a sudden 
whirl, which would have overturned the coach, but 
for the presence of mind of the driver, and set off at 
full speed. All was confusion ; some of the by-stand- 
ers shouted, one man ran after them, and caught 
one of the horses by the reins, and hung on for some 
distance, but failed to stop them. They were out 
• of sight in a moment ; the agent mounted a horse, 
and set out to see what had become of them. We 
four, and two other passengers, stood looking at 
each other in silence. We were soon told that the 
horses had never been put together before, and that 
one of them had never been in harness till now in 
his life, but great confidence was expressed in the 
skill of the driver ; and it was moreover suggested, 
that if the coach should be in a condition to proceed, 
the horses would be probably all the better for this 
previous exercise. We left the gentlemen discuss- 
ing probabilities, and walked forward, determined to 
be guided by appearances. We had gone nearly 
two miles, when our fellow-travellers overtook us, 
two walking and one on horseback. They brought 
word that all was safe, that the wayward horse was 
undergoing some additional equipment of bit and 
bridle ; and that the agent, a very skilful driver, was 
to ride on the box to assist. The vehicle soon ap- 
peared ; we saw it pass a bridge, where the horses 
might have been frightened if they had chosen. We 
took our seats, but not without some misgivings. 
The person on the horse, who, we found, had negotiat- 
ed an exchange of seats with the agent, cast back some 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 353 

pitying looks at us, and one old man had walked still 
€ /furthur on, to be more sure that all would go right 
before he included himself in the risk ; but he con- 
sented to ride after another mile. We soon became 
quite interested in him ; he was a plain farmer, dress- 
ed in homespun, and said he had determined to walk 
to Covington, five miles, and try to get a horse there, 
for he must confess he was afraid. We went on so 
safely two or three hours, that we had almost forgot- 
ten our dangerous horses, when they took a second 
fright at a long beam drawn past us on wheels. 
The leaders attempted to turn, the agent sprang off 
and caught them, we threw open the door, and were 
on the gfound in an instant. It was some time be- 
fore we could summon courage to take our places 
again, but there was no help in our case. 

Our next adventure was in fashion as follows : we 
we? were riding along the edge of a steep brink, 
where the perpendicular descent was from 12 to 15 
feet ; when the agent again sprang from the box, and 
screamed to us to get out. The two doors were 
opened in an instant, and the coach empty before we 
had time to think. There stood our leaders, with 
their feet over the precipice, and the wheel-horse, 
lying on the edge, struggling with one foot over the 
pole and the other entangled in the harness. If he 
had not fallen, there had been no escape for us. As 
soon as we women could recover from the fright, and 
stand without trembling, we walked on in a state of 
mind not to be envied, leaving half a dozen men, who 
had run from a neighboring field, to assist in setting 
30* 



354 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

the horse on his feet, and repair damages. Our 
drive for the rest of the day was any thing hut agree- 
able. We were forced to retain our dangerous 
horses, as no arrangement could be made for a change 
on the road. The turnpike was smooth and hard, 
but it was very narrow, and in many places carried 
so high that it was fearful to look over ; and remem- 
ber, we were in the power of animals which had once 
manifested an inclination to try the plunge. Even 
Mr. S. who had in the morning protested against 
jumping out, under any circumstances, sat with his 
hand on the door, and frequently tried it, to be sure 
that it could be opened at any sudden emergency. 
We soon lost our old farmer, after he had earnestly 
hoped .we might he under the protection of Provi- 
dence, and, moreover, pointed out his beautiful farm 
to our admiring eyes. 

In the course of the afternoon we made an ex- 
change of passengers, taking in the equestrian, whom 
we found very intelligent and agreeable. Right 
glad were we to see before us the Dutch place of en- 
tertainment kept by Mynheer Armitrout, where we 
were to rest till morning. It was an abode of indus- 
try and comfort ; the spinning wheel stood on the 
floor, the walls were garnished with skeins of color- 
ed yarn, and the shelves on the sides of the room 
were loaded with blankets and homespun counter- 
panes in every variety of pattern and fringe. We 
all sallied into a garden, and finding ripe raspber- 
ries in abundance, sent a petition to our hostess that 
we might be permitted to gather some for our supper. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 355 

This was readily granted, and in a few moments, 
the travellers, some of whom had never met in their 
lives till that morning, were scattered over the gar- 
den earnestly engaged in the common enterprise, 
and heaping in one bowl the common store. 

The next incident met us in the morning in the 
form of a foundered horse. To fill his place, one of 
the wayward team of yesterday was pressed into the 
service, and we set off to cross a very considerable 
mountain. The passage over the " North Moun- 
tain" deserves a whole chapter instead of a passing 
notice. The firm, level road which leads over it, has 
immortalized Col. Jordon, who undertook and exe- 
cuted it after it had been pronounced impossible by 
an experienced engineer. It is, indeed, a triumph 
of art, much of it being based upon an artificial wall 
from ten to twenty feet high. After riding for two 
hours, with the path winding far above us, we reach- 
ed the summit, and immediately commenced our de- 
scent, but not before we had paused awhile to view 
a prospect such as none of us had ever beheld before. 
We stood at a point where a parapet wall guarded 
a narrow turn of the road, and looked far down a 
rocky precipice ; while vallies, rich with harvest, 
intersected by roads and rivers, and adorned with 
villages, filled all the spaces of mountain ranges, 
in all their possible varieties of form, and colour, and 
position. It was a sea of mountains, with glimmer- 
ings of comfort and happiness from a thousand is- 
lands of plenty. With feelings of superiority to per- 
sons who had only seen Catskill and Holyoke, we 



356 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

commenced our rapid descent, and were safe in the 
valley in half an hour. And here we could not 
help congratulating ourselves that we had seen so 
many mountains, and that we had crossed the last. 
We found the country below washed and confused 
from a recent freshet ; the waters had subsided, 
leaving the harvest prostrate — bridges borne away, 
and roads to be cleared of stones and drift wood. 
As the new line was not expected, a bridge was want- 
ing for its accommodation, but a passage was ac- 
complished by fording for some distance, and we 
reached Lexington safely at last, on the 30th June, 
in time for dinner. 

Note. On the Jackson river (which, a i^ew miles 
lower than where we crossed it yesterday, becomes 
the James) we saw one of those wonders that puzzle 
geologists. On each mountain bank of the stream 
is an arch of rock, so distinctly marked out, and so 
perfectly corresponding, that the union of both at 
some former period cannot be doubted. The alum 
rock on this river is also a great curiosity. The 
rock is composed of lime-stone and iron ore ; and 
pieces of sand stone, round and smooth, are found 
embedded. The alum, which gives the rock its name, 
is found there in a pure state, and a spring is strong, 
ly impregnated with it. 

Lexington, Virginia. 

Our first inquiries, on entering the hotel at Lex- 
ington, were for a vehicle to take us to the Natural 
Bridge that afternoon, that we might return in the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 857 

stage the next morning, proceed to Staunton, and 
thus avoid further loss of time. To our surprise and 
mortification, not a carriage of any kind was to be 
had ; what was to be done ? Our appetites for din- 
ner were gone, and, after a silent meal, we repaired 
to the parlor for consultation — what was to be done 1 
The stages only passed three times in the week. 
Should we miss the one in the morning, we might be 
detained several days : but tJien to go without visit- 
ing the Bridge, for a sight of which we had encoun- 
tered so many hardships and come such a distance, 
it was not to be thought of; so we diverged to other 
subjects, wishing, like all the world, to keep the un- 
pleasant point out of view until the last moment left 
for decision, x^fter tea, Col. D. paid us a visit, 
with whom we had some pkasant conversation, and 
from whom we learned that Lexington was possessed 
of one of the oldest colleges in the state ; founded 
by Gen. Washington, from whom it took its name. 
Washington consented to receive a certain sum as 
a compliment from the State, provided he might be 
permitted to appropriate it to some public institution ; 
which being agreed to, he endowed " Washington 
College " with 8100,000. The sum of 850,000 has 
been since added, but at present the institution 
is neglected, owing to the want of professors, who, 
however, are shortly expected, when it will, no doubt, 
return to its former rank in the State. Various 
matters were discussed, and at last the all-important 
one of the Bridge was brought forward. Our griefs 
were stated, and our kind friend the Colonel declar. 



358 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

ing it would be a disgrace to Lexington if we could 
not gain a conveyance to the Bridge, sent to a friend 
for his carriage ; this failed, and, after deploring our 
unfortunate case, he bade us good-night, giving hope, 
however, that there was one chance more, and if 
successful, we should know early in the morning. 
Daylight came, and with it the pleasing intelligence 
that Major A.'s carriage was ready for us. This was 
owing to the colonel's influence ; so with a bright sun 
and light hearts we commenced our drive to the Bridge, 
distant fourteen miles, the first seven of which were 
rough enough to shake dyspepsia from the most con- 
firmed invalid. But the Bridge was beyond, and we 
cared not for the ups and downs which intervened. 
At length the road improved, the country became flat 
and less romantic than it had been, so that we could 
scarcely credit all we had heard of the wildness and 
romance of the Bridge scenery. Having been told, 
too, that we might pass it without being aware of 
the fact, we were now every moment on the look- 
out. But hearing at last that the hotel was before, 
we were satisfied that no trick was intended, and 
therefore turned our eyes to the dwelling ; at the 
door of which, to our surprise and pleasure, stood 
Mrs. D. and her party, who had just arrived before 
us. Warm were the greetings on either side, and 
many the details of accidents, hopes, and fears, past, 
present, and to come. After a short rest, we pro- 
ceeded to the top of the bridge. But who can de- 
scribe 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 359 

The Natural Bridge ? 

After all that has been said and written, after the 
various engravings, and the vivid imaginings on all 
the aforesaid efforts to enlighten the public, and give 
a correct idea of this most magnificent of nature's 
works — after all these have failed, as most assuredly 
they have, why should I attempt to describe tliatf 
which, having seen, I feel it utterly impossible to dwell 
on without a sense of mental and physical weak- 
ness, which makes all I have ever known dwindle 
into insignificance, and my very frame tremble, as 
beneath the power of some mighty invisible agent 
just about to crush me into nothing ? It is vain, ut- 
terly vain ! I can tell the length, and breadth, and 
height of this stupendous structure ;* but to bring 
it in all its mighty grandeur, in all its overpowering 
wildness, in all that vastness which causes the mind 
almost to lose itself, to bring it in its sublime reali- 
ty before the imagination of any one, is impossible. 
To each and all, who have the power of locomotion, 
I would say, " Go, and see for yourselves." 

But perhaps, for the amusement or benefit of those 
who may read this journal, T should detail our own 
movements on this never-to-be-forgotten day. To 
begin then : — Having rested ourselves, we proceeded 
to the top of the Bridge, over which the road runs 
so naturally, and the trees and shrubbery on either 
side grow in such wildness, that few persons, unpre- 

* Height, 215 feet, span of arch, 90 feet, breadtli of arch, 75 
feet, thickness of bridge, 55 feet. 



360 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

pared for the scene, would imagine they were in the 
vicinity of this miracle of nature. We wound 
through a little narrow path, from the edge of which 
we gazed into the abyss below ; at its bottom a 
narrow stream threads its way under the arch, the 
span of which met our view from our present posi- 
tion. But we looked from a dizzy height ; an aw- 
ful chasm yawned beneath, and we drew back with 
that sort of feeling which induces a long breath ; 
the sensation experienced on a sudden relief from 
danger or fatigue. Having taken a few moments' 
rest and thought, and being joined by Mrs. D., we 
proceeded down the hill along a winding path under 
the bridge. It is from the first view which here 
presents itself that the engraving is taken, and though 
to one who has never been here, it can give no idea 
of the original, yet it may serve as a memorial to 
those who have. We stood in silent admiration, 
and slowly and by degrees took our way under the 
Bridge, on the face of which, and as if drawn by a 
skiltul artist, is the form of a spread eagle. Under 
its left wing is the perfect representation of a lion's 
head, the eyes and mouth being distinctly visible : 
and, singular as it may seem, both these animals pre- 
sent the same appearance from either l^ide of the 
Bridge. They are delineated by a darker colouring 
of the rock, and at a little distance beyond is the 
figure of a bat. Strange it is that the spread eagle, 
the national emblem of our country, with the lion of 
England under its wing, should be supporting, as it 
were, this most stupendous of nature's arches ! What 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCUKStON. 361 

does it mean ? Surely it would seem as if the hand 
of the Divinity had imprinted on tables of stone this 
emblem of our country's independence and future 
supremacy. My sight failed, and my neck ached 
with looking up towards these curious and mighty 
workings of nature. Seating ourselves on the rocks, 
we closed our eyes, to realize that we had the scene 
imprinted on the memory, and then taking our way 
up the hill, stopping at intervals to cast a long lin- 
gering look behind, we bade farewell to the Natural 
Bridge. 

Dined at the house where we left our friends, and 
after a pleasant drive, reached Lexington just be- 
fore dark, where Colonel D. received us, together 
with our tribute of gratitude for the enjoyment 
which his exertions had been the means of our at- 
taining, 

Wyerh Cave. 

We awoke refreshed after the fatigue of our visit 
to the Natural Bridge, and ready to continue our 
pilgrimage to the shrine of all- wonderful nature. Our 
drive to Staunton was without incident, and early 
the next day we took a comfortable carriage for the 
cavern ten Aiiles from that place. Nothing on the 
way indicated the existence of such a place, and 
when we reached the little inn kept by the guide, I 
could have found it in my heart to doubt. We 
made our toilet for the occasion, and proceeded 
along the side of a steep hill, climbing nearly to the 
top, where a bench stands in the shade before a door 
31 



362 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

in the rock. We sat down to become perfectly cool 
before entering, while the guide unlocked the door, 
produced candles and matches, and made his prepa- 
rations, and here our party completed their equip- 
ments ; M. and I laid aside our bonnets, and Mr. S. 
gallantly made turbans for our heads of colored 
handkerchiefs. R. tied his handkerchief over his 
shoulders in the fashion of a cloak. The guide 
gave each a candlestick formed of a curved sheet of 
tin to protect the eyes from the light. We survey- 
ed ourselves in the polished mirrors they afforded, 
and then entered one by one. I cannot follow our 
course, for we went up and down, through a narrow, 
slippery passage, our over-shoes often adhering to the 
clay of the floor. We passed through openings just 
large enough to admit us stooping to the very earth, 
and then stood in halls more than 50 feet high. 
Now we descended on narrow steep ladders, and 
then climbed piles of rocks, or made a circuit to 
avoid falling into some deep pit. A map of the cave 
resembles somewhat the chain of lakes on our 
northern boundary, repeated several times. But let 
me try to systematize. The first object that at- 
tracted our attention was the wall of the passage set 
thick with rugged stalactites. It was a close, heavy 
fringe, covering roof and sides like long icicles ; and 
here let me remark that these formations have not 
the brilliancy usually ascribed to them except when 
examined closely with candles. When the light is 
held behind them, they seen to be transparent, and of 
a rich flame color. As we passed on, we found 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 363 

the shapes and dispositions of these formations in- 
finitely varied ; sometimes they hung in long pointed 
leaves, depending to the floor, and sometimes in 
graceful folds like drapery. Our guide conducted 
us into an opening called the music room, and strik- 
ing the columns, drew from one spot the sound of a 
heavy drum, from another that of a tambourine, and 
from some small tubes an excellent imitation of the 
Pandean pipes. Further on he struck the rocks 
with a staff, and the whole apartment vibrated under 
the heavy gong ; the sound was so deafening that 
we held our hands over our ears for pain. We next 
entered what is called the ball-room from having 
been occasionally used for that purpose ; it is wide 
and high, and the dim light of our scattered candles 
made it seem vast. As we passed out of it and groped 
our way onward, sweet distant sounds seemed to 
glide before us, sometimes distinct, and again seem- 
ingly lost in some deep cavern beneath, or floating 
through the arches above us. It was our guide's 
companion, who had preceded us with a flute. We 
descended a natural stair called Jacob's ladder ; this 
and many other passes are narrow and difficult, and 
all who attempt them must depend entirely on their 
own exertions and strength, as no one can assist ano- 
ther. The gallantry of our gentlemen was severely 
tried, as they could do nothing for us but hold our 
candles occasionally, that we might use our hands 
to cling to the rocks. It is vain to attempt describ- 
ing each of the apartments to which a name has 
been given. Some have been named from a real or 



364 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

fancied resemblance of objects, and others from pa- 
triotic feeling, without much regard to propriety. 
Here, in odd conjunction with the Leaning Tower 
of Pisa and Cleopatra's Needle, are Jefferson's Hall, 
CongressHall,and Washington Hall. This last apart- 
ment filled me with awe from the vastness which be- 
longed to it in that imperfect light. It rises far above 
the rays of the candles, and is lost in black obscurity. 
The candle of the guide at the opposite end of it 
seemed to us a mere point of light. Near the centre 
stands a colossal stalagmite, so like a statue wrapped 
in drapery, that one can hardly dispel the illusion ; 
this is Washington at a distance ; approach it, and 
it becomes a shapeless mass of stone, dripping mud- 
dy water. Lady Washington's apartment boasts a 
mirror, fringed hangings, and countless folds of dra- 
pery. The guide placed his light behind these stone 
curtains, and showed us, as he said, " not only a hem 
but a border." The Tower of Babel is a large cir- 
cular rock, with a fluted surface, looking like co- 
lumns bound together. Solomon's Throne is a lofty 
chair with steps and a cushion, though I must con- 
fess it needs something from the fancy. Objects of 
interest are found at every step — figures of animals, 
birds, human features, and even profiles, stand as 
memorials of nature's freakish moods, and the gro- 
tesque shapes in which no resemblance to particular 
things may be traced, are found hanging and stand- 
ing, and lying about in wild gracefulness, like the 
tracery of frost executed in stone. We had a deli- 
cious draught of cool water, which falls in drops from 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 365 

the rock; some thoughtful mortal has placed be- 
neath it a vessel fashioned in the world above, that 
wearied pilgrims may be refreshed. But the dark- 
ness, the stillness, and the echo that every sound 
calls forth in this subterraneous world, were to us 
most striking ; they give the scene its sublimity, 
though the impression is strangely at variance 
with the minute examination of perpetually chang- 
ing objects, and the frequent discovery of ludicrous 
caricatures. Our guide awakened the echoes by a 
song, to which his fine voice gave full effect, and — 
stunned us by firing the pistol. The pistol ! if this 
companion of our journey has not before received 
its due notice, let it be here recorded that its one 
effort was now to die away in sound. We were 
tired enough when our guide announced the end ; 
but all our steps were to be retraced before we could 
rest. Our candles were burned low, and the fearful 
thought of being left in darkness in such a place, 
suggested itself, not as a thing to be apprehended, 
for we knew that our guide had provided against such 
misfortune, but as the climax of all possible horrors. 
To increase the effect, we were listening to a tale 
from the guide, of a foreigner to whom it once hap- 
pened, and whose guide found the way out after 
hours of peril. At last we saw gleams of pale light 
beginning to contend with the red glare. The effect 
of suddenly emerging into daylight after three hours 
in the cave, was strange enough, and resuming the 
temperature of the world without was as uncomfort- 
able as singular. Worn out as we were, we could 
31* 



366 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

not avoid laughing at our plight, covered as we stood 
with a plaster of red mud over our strange attire. 
But water and brushes and a change of dress soon 
restored us, and after the refreshment of dinner, we 
pursued our journey to Harrisonburgh, talking over 
our exploits, and the wonders we had encountered. 

The Valley, 

We were roused from our slumbers, at 2 o'clock 
A. M. by the firing of guns and beat of drum under 
our windows. At first we could not imagine what 
it meant, but recollection came, and with it the 
memory of the 4th of July. It was rather hard to 
be disturbed in this style, and kept awake until day- 
light by such a racket ; but the spirit of patriotism 
rendered it endurable, and we arose to breakfast with 
feelings and appetites quite American. At nine 
o'clock we saw the Harrisonburgh Rangers in re- 
view before us, and soon after, taking the stage 
which came up with five passengers, we continued 
our journey through the valley of Virginia, which 
we entered at Lexington. This valley is as celebrat- 
ed for the beauty of its scenery as for its high state 
of cultivation and the badness of its roads. We 
reached Newmarket to dinner, and had the satisfac- 
tion of viewing the troops in parade celebrating, to 
the best of their ability, the glorious Fourth, and truly 
the assemblage was grotesque enough. Three offi- 
cers in uniform were in command, about twenty men 
were in hats and feathers, the rest, 1 suppose fifty, 
of every age and size, were in citizen's dress, with 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 367 

sticks over their shoulders instead of guns, and the 
music consisted of two violins, flutes, and pipes : it 
was ludicrous enough ; but the spirit, which in this 
little place prompted this exhibition of public feeling, 
was beautiful, and to be commended. Every little 
village through which we passed, showed some sign of 
respect for the day ; and after a pleasant drive we ar- 
rived at Woodstock. Our hotel was filthy, and after a 
miserable night, we gladly took the stage at 1 o'clock, 
A. M., reached Winchester to breakfast, and spent 
the Sabbath there; left it on Monday morning, 6th 
July. The country was beautiful, and our road ran 
along the line of the great Ohio Rail Road, which is 
finished as far as Harper's Ferry, where we arrived 
about 11 o'clock, A. M. This beautiful place is as 
wild and romantic as the most fanciful mind can pic- 
ture, and here is the meeting of the Potomac and She- 
nandoah rivers, which after their junction seem to have 
forced their passage, and caused a separation of the 
mountain. Here we dined, and at 1 o'clock took 
the rail road for Baltimore. The scenery, just after 
leaving the ferry, is wild beyond any description. 
The canal runs along the road on one side, and 
immensely high rocks are piled up on the other; 
while at little distance the Potomac runs in a line 
with the canal, and winding among the hills, gives 
life and spirit to a scene of exquisite romance. 
These piles of rock continue for a distance of seve- 
ral miles, and afterward the road runs through a 
cultivated and beautiful country. We travelled 
most of the way by horse-power, though we had the 



308 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

locomotive for 16 miles. About 7 o'clock we stop- 
ped at Sykesville for supper, and then proceeded by 
a fine moonlight, passing some beautiful country- 
seats, and about 9 o'clock reached Ellicott's Mills, 
situated on the Patapsco, which had been sparkling 
in its silver beauty, reflecting the moonlight, for 
many miles of our course. These mills are very 
extensive, comprising cotton and flour mills — iron 
works, &c. &;c. They are in fine order, and most 
picturesque in their situation and appearance. Here, 
too, are several fine bridges, particularly one, which, 
crossing the stream at this place, unites with the road 
which branches off to Washington City, Reach- 
ed Baltimore at half past 10 o'clock, paid an hour's 
visit to Mrs. M., passed the night at Barnum's very 
comfortably, and took the boat at 6 A. M. for Phi- 
ladelphia, where we occupied the afternoon in a visit 
to the Water Works and our friends in Walnut 
Street. The next morning saw us in the boat for 
New-York, which city we reached at 3 in the after- 
noon, in good health and spirits, thankful for our 
preservation through a journey so long and so full of 
perils, and happy in meeting our friends after so 
long absence. 



We have wandered far and wide 
By the graceful streamlet's side ; 
Over mountain, through the glen, 
In the valley we have roved — 
Countless scenes, where nature proved 
The magic wonders of her pen. 



NOTES OP A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 369 

She has written on each heart 
Things which may not soon depart, 
Of each bright and troubled scene. 
And although, of this Cluartette, 
None remaiii together, — yet 
All shall keep its memory green. 

Though our pilgrimage is o'er. 
And we daily meet no more, 
In our bosoms still shall glow 
Friendship's lustre ever bright, 
Yielding unalloyed delight, 
Till to our final bourne we go. 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 



/ 



BY 

S. OILMAN, 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

A RECENT visit to the mansion of I. K. Tefft, Esq. 
of Savannah, furnished me with an unaccustomed 
entertainment, in describing which, I may hope to 
impart it, in a faint degree, to others. This gentle- 
man has devoted a portion of his leisure for several 
years to the collection of autograpJis, or specimens 
of original hand-writing by eminent persons of va- 
rious ages and countries. If it were not otherwise 
known that his literary taste and habits had pecu- 
liarly fitted him for such an occupation, the fact 
would bs sufficiently evident from the actual fruits 
of his researches. His compilation of manuscripts, 
by different writers, nearly all of whom have been 
persons, in some way or other, of considerable dis- 
tinction, amounts to about five thousand articles. 
They thus constitute a very rare curiosity, or rather 
assemblage of curiosities, which few can even par- 
tially inspect without strong feelings of surprise and 
gratification. They present, too, a striking testimony 
of the extraordinary results that may be achieved 
by directing one's attention and energies to a par- 
ticular pursuit, whatever it may be. 

Nor can such a collection be simply regarded 
32 



374 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

as a curiosity. It deserves, in many respects, the 
higher praise of usefulness. The inquiries and ex- 
ertions necessary to its formation, must often bring 
to light some valuable literary or historical docu- 
ment. It is not mere signatures, or scraps of hand- 
writing, that Mr. Tefft has been so sedulously col- 
lecting. He has intended that each specimen should 
consist, if possible, of an interesting letter, or some 
important instrument. Must it not be readily allow- 
ed, that a series of only single letters from all the 
eminent men, who were active, both in a civil and 
military capacity, throughout our revolutionary war, 
would of itself constitute an interesting volume, and 
throw a desirable light on the history of that period ? 
Yet such a series might be culled with great ease 
from the collection we are now contemplating. 

Very few large autographic collections are known 
to exist. They are among the last intellectual luxu- 
ries grafted on a high growth of refinement and ci- 
vilization. Here and there some peculiar taste or 
bias determines an individual to the pursuit, and he 
experiences the innocent delight of beholding his 
treasures rapidly increase, while his friends and 
acquaintances, in the mean time, are permitted to 
enjoy many an hour of deep interest and pleasure 
in reviewing the proceeds of his quiet yet enthusiastic 
labors. In our own country, besides Mr. Tefft^ 
there are but two very extensive collectors, the Rev. 
Dr. Sprague, of Albany, and Robert Gilmor, Esq. 
of Baltimore. Dr. Sprague's collection has attain- 
ed considerable celebrity, and amounts to more than 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 375 

twenty thousand articles. Mr. Gilmor's, also, is 
particularly valuable ; and a printed list of the most 
important articles has been circulated by him for the 
convenience of himself and his friends. His Ameri- 
can is separated from his Foreign collection, and is 
thus classed : Civil and military officers before the 
revolution — military officers of the revolutionary 
war — military officers since the revolution — naval 
officers — signers of the declaration of independence 
— worthies of the revolution — signers of the consti- 
tution of the United States — presidents and vice-pre- 
sidents — secretaries of state — secretaries of the trea- 
sury — secretaries of war — secretaries of the navy — 
attorneys general — post-office department — govern- 
ors of states and territories — members of congress — 
diplomatic — law — divinity — physic — literary — sci- 
entific — artists— miscellaneous, which includes all 
that cannot properly be placed under one of the other 
heads. The foreign autographs in the same collec- 
tion are subjected to a similar arrangement. The 
accomplished Grimke, during the last few years of 
his life, paid much attention to this subject, and has 
left a considerable collection of autographs, which, 
had he been longer spared, would soon undoubtedly 
have been greatly enlarged. Among the most dis- 
tinguished collectors abroad, are. Rev. Dr. Raffles, 
of Liverpool, the well-known author of the " Life of 
Spencer," and Rev. Mr. Bolton, of Henly-upon- 
Thames. It would thus appear that clergymen have 
a particular partiality for this pursuit ; though by 
what affinity, I presume not to determine. 



376 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSIOJ??. 

Few autographs, comparatively, have reached our 
country from the continent of Europe, nor is Mr. 
TefR acquainted with any collector in that part of 
the world. That there must be such, however, is 
highly probable, particularly in France, Germany, 
Holland, and Italy. The Enyclopsedias contain no 
information on the subject, though it would seem to 
deserve a place in their miscellaneous records. The 
Encyclopaedia Americana, which is mainly a trans- 
lation from the German, dismisses the article with 
the tantalising remark, that " some collections of 
autographs of famous men are very interesting." [ 
should apprehend that there is a sufficient number of 
autograph-collectors in the world to justify and sup- 
port an annual publication on the subject. Such 3 
work would be invaluable to the fraternity. It 
should contain catalogues of all existing collections. 
It should give an account of new and interesting 
discoveries. It should present fac similes of the 
rarest and most valuable subjects. By this means, 
every collector might compare his own deficiencies 
with the redundances of others, and an equilibrium 
be everywhere maintained at much less trouble and 
expense than are incurred at present. 

Mr. Tefft has succeeded in forming his large com- 
pilation without incurring any direct expense. 
Through the liberality of many persons in our coun- 
try who have held choice autographs in their posses- 
sion, he has always on hand duplicates of considera- 
ble worth, by the exchange of which with persons 
either at home or abroad, he has been enabled to Gon>. 



NOTES OF A SOITTHEKN EXCURSION. 377 

fer so peculiar a value and extent on his collection. 
Having amassed five thousand specimens, it may be 
supposed that he has nearly exhausted the range of 
distinguished names ; and accordingly, when some 
obliging friend from a distance sends him a parcel, 
he finds, on looking it over, that it scarcely contri- 
butes a single new name to his collection, though the 
whole may be otherwise valuable and interesting. 
Some of his most curious specimens he has received 
gratuitously from friends in Great Britain, although, 
as might be expected, in a very artificial stafe of socie- 
ty, they would often command considerable prices 
in that country. The poet Campbell raised forty- 
five guineas for the Poles by autographs ; and, visit- 
ing a lady who had notes from distinguished people 
on her table, he advised her to conceal them, or they 
would be stolen. Brougham's autograph was valued 
at five guineas. Distant, undoubtedly, is the day, 
when the casual holder of a few bits of paper in 
America will think of extorting a compensation 
from the gentle and devoted collector of autographs. 
One of the most interesting features of this occu- 
pation consists in the personal correspondence be- 
tween the autograph-collector and individuals who 
are in possession of the desired articles. Between 
the collectors themselves, not only an acquaintance 
is formed, but often a warm and substantial friend- 
ship. If one could imagine the mutual regard en- 
tertained between two persons who are in the habit 
of interchanging a few Birds of Paradise, or a real 
Phoenix, or a consignment of the most delicious 
32* 



378 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

tropical fruits, or a goodly specimen of Georgia gold, 
one might understand the emotions derived from the 
reception of a long-sought-for scrap by one of the 
signers of the Declaration, or perchance the verita- 
ble signature of some foriegn name, 

" Wherewith all Europe rings from side to side." 

Again : nothing can exceed the obliging and 
courteous language and actions of several distin- 
guished men, who have been applied to for autographs 
within their control. My Savannah friend has rare- 
ly, if ever, had the misfortune to be met with neglect 
in answer to applications of this kind. His letters 
from such men as ex-Presidents Madison and Adams, 
Prof. Silliman, Gen. La Fayette, Washington Irving, 
/Duponceau, Joseph Buonaparte, Dr. Mitchell, Mr. 
Grimke, Basil Hall, Dr. Raffles, an-d many others, 
exhibit their private characters in a truly amiable 
light. When thus not merely the nature of this oc- 
cupation, but its external circumstances are of so 
agreeable a description, we cannot wonder at the 
zeal with which it is pursued. 

The science of the autograph-collector is not with- 
out its higher and peculiar mysteries. By much ex- 
perience and exercise he acquires a skilful discerii- 
ment, which belongs not to common eyes. He will 
tell you of correspondences between tlic hand-writ- 
ing and the mental disposition of individuals, about 
which he is rarely, if ever, mistaken. He will speak 
of immediately discerning, amidst a hundred new 
specimens, and before inspecting tlic signatures, 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCmSlON. 379 

those which have been written by the most eminent 
persons. And why should it not be so ? Perhaps 
it will be found more philosophical to credit such 
pretensions, than to ridicule or distrust them. For 
if we often judge of a character, with no little pre- 
cision, by a single tone of the voice, by a single mo- ■' 
tion of the body, by an instantaneous glance at the 
physiognomy ; and if, which is yet more to the point, 
a nation has its peculiar style of writing, so that a 
French manuscript is as easily discernible from an 
English one as are the respective dialects of the 
two countries ; if the manuscripts of the same nation 
at different eras are also perceptibly different, so 
that a writing of the sixteenth century is no more 
like one of the eighteenth than are the dresses of 
those two periods like each other ; if the chirogra- 
phics of the two sexes are almost always immediate- 
ly distinguishable, so that a brother and sister, edu- 
cated under the same circumstances, and taught by 
the same writing-master, shall yet unavoidably re- 
veal their respective styles ; and if, lastly, different 
classes of persons shall be known by their different 
hand-writings, so that a mere child could pronounce 
which is the mercantile clerk's, which the lawyer's, 
and which the leisurely gentleman's, let us beware 
how we rashly discredit the experienced inspector 
of autographs, who deduces from the signature of an 
individual the qualities of his mind. 

The occupation we are describing is sometimes 
enlivened by moving adventures, hair-breadth rescues, 
and joy-inspiring discoveries, which the uninitiated 



380 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

world knows nothing of; and sometimes it is damp- 
ed by the most cruel disappointments. A manuscript 
is often sought for with anxious diligence for years ; 
and when perhaps all hope is abandoned, and some- 
thing like acquiescence or resignation is beginning to 
compose the spirits of the baffled inquirer, not only 
the desired signature, but (precious and ample reward 
for all past labors and regrets) a whole letter by the 
same hand, is sent in from some unexpected quarter. 
Mr. Tefft was long in pursuit of an autograph of 
Kosciusko. He received from a northern friend a 
scrap of paper containing the simple signature of 
that warrior's name, with an expression of regret 
that nothing more under his hand could be found. 
Some time afterwards, he received from another 
friend an entire letter of Kosciusko, with the excep- 
tion of the signature. On comparing the twa pa- 
pers, with trembhng anxiety, it was found tliat they 
both originally constituted one and the same letter. 
Sometimes an ignorant descendant of renowned an- 
cestors will be unwilling to part with any of their 
manuscripts, through an inability to comprehend the 
collector's object ; sometimes a heaping trunk is 
committed by a vandal hand to the flames, or, if res- 
cued, its contents are perhaps found to be ruined by 
the moulds and damps of age. 

But we have perhaps been too long detained from 
examining the valuable collection which has oc- 
casioned these preliminary remarks. We find the 
manuscripts in excellent perservation, being ar- 
ranged and classed in six volumes, after the man- 



HOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSIOI?«^. Sffl 

ner of Mr. Gilmor's collection already described. 
There is, besides, a box of miscellaneous autographs. 
Let us first open this. A very courteous letter from 
Capt. Hall lies on the top, inclosing an engraved 
fac simile of the letter written to him by Sir Walter 
Scott when detained at Portsmouth by the wind in 
1831, and giving some account of Sir Walter's own 
favourite production, " The Antiquary." This letter 
has been already published in several American news- 
papers, and we will dismiss it by simply remarking 
that Sir Walter's first sentence has been erroneous- 
ly deciphered and printed. He does not say, " My 
dear Captain Hall, as the wind seems deter minately 
inflexible," but he says " As the wind seems determiti' 
edly inflexible." 

We have next, a letter, dated in 1833, from an emi- 
nent law-editor of Edinburgh, who states that he has 
declined autograph-collecting on account of the ex- 
pense attending it. " It is now," he continues, " a fa- 
vorite hobby with the ladies as well as gentlemen, 
which makes it doubly difliicult to procure a tolerable 
set of autographs — for even parliamentary franks on 
the backs of letters from members of both houses are 
kidnapped from all the public offices and private 
desks, here and in London, for wives, daughters, and 
sweethearts." 

Next is an invaluable document. It is a commu- 
nication from the son of Dr. Currie, of Liverpool, 
the biographer of Burns, covering a long and inter- 
esting letter from that immortal poet to the cele- 
brated Dagald Stewart. It is written in a large^ 



382 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

bold, perpendicular, and slightly angular hand, not 
unworthy the author of " Tam O'Shanter." 

A distinguished Professor of a northern institu- 
tion, in a very kind letter, thus writes : " We have 
in Yale College a very remarkable autograph, or 
rather auto-delineation : it is a sketch of himself 
with a pen, made by Major Andre a few hours be- 
fore his execution. There is also a lock of his. hair 
taken from his grave. In the sketch, he is represent- 
ed as sitting at a table ; the portrait is full length, 
and about the size of the palm of your hand. It 
came into the possession of Lieut. Nathan Beers of 
the Connecticut Line, then on duty, and who stood 
near to Andre, as a member of the guard, at the mo- 
ment of execution. Lieut. Beers is my near neigh- 
bor, and at eighty years of age enjoys his faculties 
perfectly, except hearing. Col. Talmadge, a very 
gallant and distinguished cavalry officer, was charged 
with the immediate custody of Andre's person, and 
upon his arm the unfortunate man was leaning, on 
his way to execution, when he first saw the pre- 
paration for what he deemed a dishonorable death ; 
he recoiled a moment at the sight, and asked with 
emotion if he must die in that manner. Col. Tal- 
madge is still living, and cannot, even now, relate 
that tragedy without tears." 

We have next a letter from an eminent clergyman 
in England. The following extract will touch a 
sensitive chord in every American bosom : — " I now 
possess every signer of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, save one, viz. George Taylor. By the 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. S83 

kindness of a friend in Liverpool, a countryman of 
yours, I have been presented with a proof-irapression 
of Trumbull's picture of the Signing of the Decla- 
ration, which I purpose binding with the volume 
which the signers are designated to form, and which, 
"when so bound and illustrated, will constitute not 
only one of the most interesting articles in my col- 
lection, but, I apprehend, to posterity at least one of 
the most interesting volumes in the world." 

As a happy pendant to the foregoing, we have 
next a letter from our Lafayette, dated in 1832, 
saying, " With much pleasure I would gratify your 
autographic inclinations, but have for the present 
no European writings to offer, excepting a note 
from the King of the French, which I inclose. As 
for this letter of mine, which you are pleased to 
call for, I hope it will be placed in the American 
part of your collection. I beg you to remind me to 
my friends in Savannah, and to believe me most sin- 
cerely yours. Lafayette." 

There is next an affectionate letter to a young 
friend at St. Mary's College, Baltimore, dated Wash- 
ington, 1827, written in a very elegant hand, and 
signed J. R. of Roanoke. It may be remembered 
that Mr. Randolph in early life wrote in a wretched 
hand, and was induced to alter it on his first visit 
to England, by seeing some specimens of the writ- 
ing of Mr. Pitt, whose manuscript was remarkably 
fair. The effect of this characteristic emulation 
evidently continued with him to the last. 

A business letter by a celebrated senator from 



384 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION* 

Massachusetts soon follows, and is remarkable for 
being written very much in the manner of Walter 
Scott. 

Not far from this, is the letter of a distinguished 
citizen of Philadelphia to the late Dr. Samuel ^^ 
Mitchell, of New-York, introducing a friend to his 
acquaintance. Dr. MitcteU himself sent this auto- ^' I 
graph, on which is endorsed in his own hand, " Re- 
ceived 20th March, 1823. Answered by Tea-party, 
29th." 

We soon take up a letter, apparently from a Lon- 
don merchant or banker, dated 6th April, 1676, to 
his friends in the country. It is curious in mention- 
ing that King Charles II. was then at New-Market, 
" and 'tis said," continues the letter, " his Majesty 
in Counsell did on Sunday was seavenight past 
order that the chimney money should be assigned 
for payment of the bankers." This chimney money 
probably coresponded to the house-duty of modern 
times. It is sometimes called hearth-money by the 
historians. The same letter contains the following 
passing touch of private life : — " Matt. H. and little 
Kitt were both invited through Easter to Sir Wm. 
Bucknall. The hinmost was not there, but the fore- 
most was, and questionless the orange was well 
squeezed." 

Another document is an order, dated in 1724, for 
the payment of a dividend on the South Sea Stock, 
celebrated in history as the cause of such widely-ex- 
tended ruin. 

There is also an original letter, written by Miss 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 385 

Elizabeth Scott to her father. The greatest curio- 
sity about it is, that Dr. Doddridge once tried to marry 
Miss Scott, but without success. She was a lady of 
great talents and accomplishments, and the authoress 
of some poems. The letter before us is only re- 
markable for a deep tone of piety and filial affec- 
tion. The writer seems to have been a great bodily 
sufferer. One little thing about the exterior of her 
letter bespeaks its feminine authorship, and carries 
us back, as by a magic power, through a hundred 
years. Some thirty or forty pin-holes are stuck in- 
to the wafer of the letter, the fair and worthy wri- 
ter apparently not having a seal at hand. The 
privilege of seeing pin-holes, made in a wafer by the 
fingers of a lady to whom Dr. Doddridge was at- 
tached, is one of no small value. If she could have 
found it in her heart to favour the fond divine 
more indulgently, doubtless she would have been 
able, instead of a pin, to have used a seal, with the 
device of a blazing heart, and the initials of P. D. 
beneath it. As to the superscription, directed up- 
side down, we know not what to say. 

Turning over a number of interesting articles, 
which we cannot possibly specify, we come to a 
MS. sermon of Cotton Mather. It is written half 
unintelligibly in the finest and closest hand, on three 
very small leaves, the latter part of it seeming to be 
only notes or hints for extemporaneous enlargement. 
The text consists of the words, " Blessed be God." 
An instance of Mather's bold and poetic imagina- 
tion occurs near the middle of the discourse. Des- 
33 



386 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

cribing the life and character of the Apostle Paul, 
who had such valid reasons to bless God for his 
conversion, he says, " a vile sinner against God 
may become a high servant of God. As they said, 
Is Saul among the prophets ? thus they could say of 
another Saul, Is he among the Apostles? A fierce 
persecutor of our Lord Jesus Christ may become a 
rare ambassador for him." At this point he inserts 
in the margin, as an after-thought, which he felt 
necessary to crown his climax of antitheses, " and a 
fire-brand of hell may become a bright star of 
heaven." 

As this autograph of Mather is among the oldest 
in the collection, I may here mention that the very 
oldest is dated in 1665, and that on one sheet of paper 
are fastened four small documents, written in New. 
England between the years 1665 and 1689. Thus 
the Collection is not yet peculiarly rich in antiqui- 
ties. 

We now turn over a considerable number of arti- 
cles, consisting of letters, dinner-notes, orders, and 
signatures, from the most conspicuous Americans 
of past and present times. However 'piquant it may- 
be to the curious in such matters to inspect the has- 
ty undress and confidential billets of Presidents and 
Ex-Presidents, Members of Cabinets and Congress, 
and various others eminent characters, the laws of 
decorum must not be violated by transcribing and 
blazoning them here. But see ! we arrive at a 
mutilated letter from Benedict Arnold, It is writ- 
ten in a large, clear, bold, regular hand, and contains a 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 387 

complaint of his character having been cruelly and 
unjustly aspersed; concluding thus — " I have the 
honour to be, with the greatest respect, (here some 
one has written in pencil, a Traitor) Your Excel- 
lency's most obedient and very humble servant, 

" B. Arnold." 

Soon following this, is the rough draft of an animat- 
ed Address to the young men of Boston, dated Phila- 
delphia, 1798, by the elder President Adams. It be- 
gins thus : " Gentlemen, it is impossible for you to 
enter your own Fanueil Hall, or to throw your eyes 
on the variegated mountains and elegant islands 
around you, without recollecting the principles and 
actions of your fathers, and feeling what is due to 
their example." After alluding to the dangers of 
the country, he writes, " To arms, then, my young 
friends ; to arms !" — and concludes in an equally 
characteristic strain. Some sheets after, we find a 
letter from the same pen, written from Philadelphia 
to Boston as early as 1776. It is addressed to a 
certain Miss Polly Palmer, in a style of playful gal- 
lantry. The whole of it is so interesting, that it 
shall be extracted here entire : 

Philadelphia, July 5, 1776. 

Miss Polly. — Your favour of June 15, 1776, was 
handed to me by the last post. — I hold myself much 
obliged to you for your attention to me, at this dis- 
tance from those scenes, in which, although I feel 



388 NOTES OF A SOUTIIERIS: EXCURSION. 

myself deeply interested, yet I can neither be an act. 
or nor spectator. 

You have given me (notwithstanding all your 
modest apologies) with a great deal of real elegance 
and perspicuity, a minute and circumstantial narra- 
tive of the whole expedition to the lower harbour, 
against the men of war. It is lawful, you know, to 
flatter the ladies a little, at least if custom can make 
a thing lawful : but, without availing myself in the 
least degree of this license, I can safely say, that 
from your letter, and another from Miss Paine to 
her brother, I was enabled to form a more adequate 
idea of that whole transaction, than from all the 
other accounts of it, both in the newspapers and 
private letters which have come to my hands. 

In times as turbulent as these, commend me to the 
ladies for historiographers ; the gentlemen are too 
much engaged in action, — the ladies are cooler spec- 
tators. — There is a lady at the foot of Pens-Hill, 
who obliges me from time to time, with clearer and 
fuller intelligence than I can get from a whole com- 
mittee of gentlemen. 

I was a little mortified at the unlucky calm which 
retarded the militia from Braintree, Weymouth, and 
Hingham. — I wished that they might have had more 
than half the glory of the enterprize ; however, it 
satisfies me to reflect, that it was not their fault, but 
the fault of the wind they had not. 

I will enclose to you a Declaration, in which 
all America is remarkably united. It completes a 
revolution, which makes as great a figure in the his- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 389 

tory of mankind as any that has preceded it : — pro- 
vided always that the ladies take care to record the 
circumstances of it, for by the experience I have had 
of the other sex, they are either to lazy, or too active, 
to commemorate them. 

A continuance of your correspondence, Miss Pol- 
ly, would much oblige me. — Compliments to Papa 
and Mamma, and the whole family. — I begin now to 
flatter myself, however, that you are situated in the 
safest place upon the continent. 

Howe's army and fleet are at Staten Island — But 
there is a very numerous army at New-York and 
New-Jersey, to oppose them. — Like Noah's Dove, 
without its innocence, they can find no rest. 

I am with much respect, esteem, and gratitude, 
your friend and humble servant, 

John Adams, 

A letter from the unhappy 2Iubly lies side by side 
with several from John Houston. They were both 
members, from Georgia, of that Congress which 
signed the Declaration of Independence. Zubly 
was charged, in Congress, with holding a treason- 
able correspondence with Sir James Wright, then 
British governor of Georgia. He fled homewards. 
Houston was ordered to follow him, and counteract 
his influence, and thus was deprived of the distin- 
guished honour of adding his signature to the De- 
claration. Zubly, it appears, continued to live and 
to preach in Savannah ; for in the letter above-men- 
tioned, written in 1779, he says to his friend, "I 
33* 



390 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 

preached yesterday to a ^ew people, among whom 
many were very rude. A critical day seems to be 
drawing near." I saw also his grave and monument 
during my recent visit at Savannah. 

The autograph-inspector must not, however, flatter 
himself he can always find a very interesting docu- 
ment, apart from the mere signature or hand-writing 
of the eminent individual to whom it belonged. The 
every-day correspondence, even of heroes them- 
selves, is not particularly heroic. You will turn 
over many a precious relic of the officers engaged 
in our revolutionary war, and find perhaps nothing 
more important than an order upon a Quarter-Mas- 
ter-General, or the detail of accidents unworthy of a 
permanent record. Yet sometimes a few hastily 
written lines will transport you in imagination to 
the heat and bustle of the contest ; as, where Lord 
Stirling enjoins Col. Dayton, "besides watching the 
motions of the enemy along the Sound, to get some 
certain intelligence from Staten Island and New- 
York of their preparations or intentions; and I 
will be with you in the morning, but say nothing of 
that ;" — or, where Archibald Bullock, the first repub- 
lican governor of Georgia, begs Col. M'Intosh, Com- 
mander of the Continental Battalion, in a letter 
which is quoted by M'Call, the historian, immediate- 
ly to withdraw a sentinel from his door ; " since," he 
continues, " I act for a free people, in whom I have 
an entire confidence and dependence, and would 
wish upon all occasions to avoid ostentation ;" or 
where Thomas Gushing of Boston, in 1773, invites 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 391 

Elbriclge Gerry to a meeting of the Committee of 
Correspondence, to prepare for the possibility of ap- 
proaching war ; and says in a postscript, " It is 
thought it will not be best to mention abroad the 
particular occasion of this meeting;" — or when 
M'Henry writes to Governor Hawley, that he had sit- 
ten up two nights to produce two numbers of some 
address to the people, and adds, " We go against 
Arnold, but let us not be too sanguine. He is cover- 
ed by entrenchments. War is full of disappoint- 
ments," &c. ; or where Rawlins Lowndes writes 
to Governor Houston of Georgia, "I hope you will 
be able to keep off the enemy until succours arrive 
to your assistance. General Lincoln set off this 
morning, and the troops are on their march." 

It is curious, however, to observe the turn taken 
by the correspondence of the same class of men as 
soon as the great struggle for independence was 
over. They enter now upon the field of local or 
general politics ; or they look after their private af- 
fairs, which have evidently been deranged by their 
long devotion to public service ; or they order from 
an artist, an eagle, the badge of the Cincinnati ; or 
they inquire into the value of grants of land voted 
them by legislatures ; or they solicit the office of 
sheriff; or they take measures to establish academies, 
and improve society around them. 

We now open the box lettered Distinguished Fo- 
reigners. And first greets the eye a precious par- 
cel containing several autographs of Sir Walter 
Scott. We have this note to his fayourite publisher 



392 NOTES OF A SOUTIIERX EXCURSION. 

and friend Jas. Ballantyne : — " Dear James, You 
have had two blank days, I send you copy from 
fifty. two to sixty.four, thirteen pages." We have 
an entire and closely-written leaf of the History of 
France in Tales of a Grandfather. We have a 
billet without direction, sent probably to some one 
waiting at the gate of Abbotsford, and couched in 
these terms : " Sir Walter is particularly engaged 
just now. Andrew Scott is welcome to look at the 
arms, and Sir Walter encloses a trifle to help out 
the harvest wages." We have an order on a book- 
seller in this fashion : — " Mr. Scott will be obliged 
to Mr. Laing to send him from his catalogue 
9373 Life of J. C. Pitkington, 
9378 Life of Letitia Pitkington ;" 
and lastly, we have the solitary signature, Walter 
Scott, which will no doubt be worth its full guinea 
before many years. One peculiarity distinguishes 
the manuscripts of this author from all others. It 
is, that he never dots an i, or crosses a t, or employs 
punctuation of any kind, except, now and then, a 
solitary period. In this respect his writing strong- 
ly resembles the inscriptions of the ancients. On 
comparing the sheet of copy which he furnished for 
the printer, with the published History of France, I 
find a number of essential variations. The proba- 
bility is, that James Ballantyne, who was an accom- 
plished scholar, or perhaps the press-corrector, who, in 
Europe, is often possessed of no mean acquirements, 
treated Sir Walter's manuscripts pretty much after 
their own pleasure. The magic weaver had dis- 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 393 

missed his fabric, wrought indeed in the firmest tex- 
ture and the most beautiful figures and colours. But 
the Jinisher went carefully over the whole, adjusted 
the irregular threads, removed the unsightly knots, 
stretched out every part to an agreeable smooth- 
ness, and thus rendered the wonderful commodity 
fit for the general market. 

Reluctantly laying aside these memorials of the 
Great Enchanter, we take up a very polite letter 
from Joseph Buonaparte, enclosing the autograph of 
his far more renowned brother. It is on the outside 
of a note addressed by Napoleon to Joseph, when 
the latter was a member of the Council of Five 
Hundred. It is written on a thick, firm piece of 
paper, which has been clumsily and hastily sealed 
with red sealing-wax. The seal is inscribed with 
the name of Buonaparte, in the French, not the Ita- 
lian mode of spelling it ; and bears the device of a 
female figure leaning on a lictor's axe and rods. 
The superscription is this : 
"Concityen 

Joseph Buonaparte 

depute au conseil 

des 500 

Paris." 
Thus the autograph fixes its own date before 1800, 
the Council of Five Hundred having been dissolved 
on the 9th Nov. 1799. In fact, it is not at all impos- 
sible that this very envelope covered a note from 
Napoleon to his brother, penned during that agitat- 
ing week which preceded the death-blow of his 
country's liberties. 



394 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSIO!*. 

If ever hand-writing was characteristic, this little 
superscription is decidedly so. Were a painter of 
genius employed to represent a field of battle by a 
few lines and dashes of a pen, he could not execute 
a closer resemblance than this. It is ditricult to in- 
spect it without being almost induced to stop one's 
ears. The i's and j's indeed, unlike those of Scott, 
are dotted; but the dots look exactly like flying 
bombs. The t's are all duly crossed ; but they are 
crossed as was the bridge of Lodi ; and that ima- 
gination must be slow indeed, which does not per- 
ceive that the hand which produced even this little 
specimen, was guided by a soul, whose congenial 
elements were power, rapidity, confusion, victory. 

A singular juxta-position has brought near this 
autograph of Buonaparte the original copy of seve- 
ral stanzas of Delta, the peace-loving poet, pub- 
lished in Blackwood, and entitled, Fll think of thee. 

What next has found its way to this little world of 
Autographs? 

Lafayette's toast. 

"The Holy Alliance of Nations is the cause of 
equal rights and universal freedom." Then follows 
the same in French, all in his own hand-writing. 

About twenty specimens onwards, all of them very 
interesting, but out of the question to be noticed 
here, occures the skeleton of a sermon by the late 
Rev. Thos. Spencer. 

Next, is an order of Southey the poet, on a book- 
seller, for Aretino and Strabo. 



NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION. 395 

Next, a note from Wordsworth, but who will cre- 
dit its being entirely concerned with the letting of 
land, the laying down of crops, and the productive. 
ness of a certain blacksmith's shop ? 

There is a characteristic scrap from John Wes- 
ley, though a few of the words are unintelligible. 
The readable part of it is this : — " Within a few 
months I am brought much forward. A ^ew more, 
and I shall be no more seen. May I * * * 
Your affectionate friend and brother, 

J. Wesley." 

Two sonnets by Bowles, in his own hand-writing, 
will gratify the lover of poetry, and remind him of 
the high testimony of Coleridge to the merits of that 
elegant l)ard. 

Next, a manuscript of two pages by William Cob- 
bett, which appears to be a diatribe against the Eng- 
lish government . for its conduct towards America 
during the last war. 

Next, the beautiful lines of John Bowring, enti- 
tled, " Whither shall my spirit fly ?" written in his 
own hand, and marked by his own signature. 

Next, a note from Lady Byron to her bookseller, 
ordering a number of theological works. 

Next, a letter from Adam Clarke, inviting a dis- 
tinguished clergyman of our own State, who was 
then in London, to visit him. 

Next, a long and interesting letter from Whitefield 
on the subject of his school for orphans. 

Dr. Franklin, in a letter lying near, says of Mr. 
Whitefield himself, " I knew him intimately upwards 



396 NOTES OF A SOUTHERN EXCURSION, 

of thirty years. His integrity, disinterestedness, 
and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good 
work, I have never seen equalled, 1 shall never see 
excelled." 

In turning to a large parcel of American auto- 
graphs, I observed the following profound and valu- 
able remark in a letter of Gouverneur Morris. 
Speaking of a distinguished Southern politician, he 
says, " He seems to me one of the best of men, who, 
even if they begin life wrong, soon get right ; and let 
me tell you, this thing is much morQ rare than ex- 
perienced men suppose." 

A letter from Bartram, the celebrated botanist, 
DOW attracts the eye. It is dated Charleston, So. 
Ca., April, 1775. To what friend it is addressed, 
does not appear ; but it is evidently dictated by a 
heart in which the love of goodness and of botany 
are both prevalent. " I wrote yesterday," he says, 
" to your son John, at Jamaica. I begged him to 
associate with the best characters, and at the same 
time I begged of him to take notice of the plants 
and other national productions of the island, and to 
send you the seeds and fruits. I am resolved to 
take another scout in the Indian countries. Believe 
I shall go among the Cherokees ; thence through the 
Creek nation to VVest Florida. I want to see the 
Western and mountainous parts of these colonies, 
where I hope I shall pick up some new things. It's 
look'd upon as hazardous, but I think there's a pro- 
bability of accomplishing it." 

Of Spurzheim, all that could be obtained was one 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 397 

of his printed lecture tickets, on which he wrote the 
date, and on which he also stamped his favourite seal, 
" Res, non verba qu^so." Every relic of this distin- 
guished individual has been in great demand ; and 
unfortunately the supply was diminished by the ap- 
plication of his heirs for every scrap on which he 
had written. 

The autographs of divines form one of Mr. TefFt's 
divisions. And in this department he has the sig- 
nature of every American Bishop since the Revolu- 
tion. 

Among the foreign autographs is a conspicuous list 
of the Ministers of France for several years after the 
restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. Some of the 
names are those of Baron Portalis, Due de Broglie, 
Due de Cadore, Serrurier, Menou, Due de Bauzun, 
D'Hauterive, Talleyrand, Neuville, Pelletier, La Feb- 
vre, Dessoles, Choiseul, Deffands, Rayneval, Fouche, 
Clermont de Tonnerre, Mole, Polignac, Montmoren- 
ci, Decres, Marshal Jourdain, Richelieu, Sebastia- 
ni, &c. &c. which are generally subscribed to fo- 
reign consular papers. There are also a few French 
Revolutionary documents. 

Despairing, however, to present any thing ap- 
proaching an adequate idea, or even complete cata- 
logue, of the various treasures of this collection, I 
will only further remark, that the curious in these 
matters may here inspect entire letters or notes of 
James Hogg, Alexander Munro the anatomist, Gen, 
Braddock, Rev. Andrew Fuller, a celebrated Baptist 
clergyman, Haydon, the distinguished painter and 
34 



398 A WEEK AMO^-G AUTOGRAPHS. 

writer, Lord Brougham, of whom there are two spe- 
cimens, Tennant, author of Anster Fair, Dr. Chal- 
mers, John Gait, Lucy Aiken, Dr. Parr, John Wil- 
son's note to William Blackwood, Granville Sharp, 
Clarkson to Joseph Lancaster, Duke of Bedford to 
the same, Rev. Dr. Rippon, Thomas Campbell, Wm. 
Jay the preacher, Shee the poet and artist, Rogers 
the poet, Martin the painter, Mrs. Grant of Laggan, 
J. R. M'Culloch, Murray the publisher, Mrs. M'Le- 
hon the Clarinda of Robert Burns, Dibdin the Bio- 
grapher, Principal Bairdof Edinburgh, Wilberforce, 
Du Portail the French minister, Atherton the poet, 
Dr. Wardlaw, Dr. Currie of Liverpool, Rev. Row- 
land Hill, Wiffen, the excellent translator of Tasso, 
Count Ney, the Rev. Matthew Wilks, William 
Godwin, Miss Jewsbury, the late Mrs. Fletcher, 
Godoy the Prince of Peace, Miss Francis W^right, 
Rev. Matthew Henry the Bible Commentator, the 
Duke of Wellington, Thomas Hartwell Home, Sir 
John Sinclair, Archdeacon Wrangham, Matthews 
the Comedian, Francis Jeffrey, Mr. Alison of Edin- 
burgh, Leigh Hunt, Prof. Jamieson of Edinburgh, 
Scoresby the Artie Navigator, Robert Owen, But- 
ton the antiquary to the Duke of Bedford, William 
Roscoe, Rev. Prof. Lee of Cambridge, with mottoes 
in Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, and English, Lord Gren- 
ville, (an order for some plants,) Mrs. Hemans to a 
friend on songs and song-writing, Lockhart, Napier, 
present editor E. R., Thomas Coke the celebrated 
Methodist, Dr. Lettsom, an elegant letter of intro- 
duction from Baron Humboldt to the late Stephen 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 399 

Elliott, written in French, Geo. Canning, Gen. 
Oglethorpe when in Georgia, Dr. Fothergill to John 
'^ Bartram, De Quinc^ the Opium-eater, James the 
Novelist, Ryder, Bi'shop of Litchfield and Coven- 
try, Gen. Moreau, Miss Edgevvorth, and Miss Mar- 
tineau. 

Of sim'ple signatures, we have those of Chateau- 
briand, Bishop Watson to a College bill of the late 
Judge Grimke when at the University of Cambridge, 
Sir Robert Peel, Miss Benger, Lord Sidmouth, Lord 
Lauderdale, William Howitt, Sir A. Cooper, Earl 
Grey, Sir Jas. M'Intosh, Helen Maria Williams, 
Lord Casilereagh, Lord Eldon, Lord Erskine, two 
of Louis the Sixteenth, one of Lord Melbourne, the 
Marchioness of Wellesley, Marshal Davoust, Leigh 
Richmond, Joseph Hume, Geo. Thomson the friend 
of Burns, William Pitt, the present Duke of Graf- 
ton, the present King of England when Duke of 
Clarence, being the address and franking of a letter 
from him to Prof. Lee of Cambridge, Lord John 
Russel, Duke of Devonshire, franks of a large 
number of members of Parliament, Lord Liverpool, 
Countess of Huntingdon, Whitfield's friend ; Tal- 
leyrand, an almost impenetrable signature ; Buck- 
ingham the traveller and writer. Lord Hill, and Sis- 
mondi. 

The collection which I now have attempted to 
describe is liberally open to the inspection of every 
respectable inquirer. Any important contribution 
to it is received vv^ith gratitude by the proprietor. 
Should the present essay awaken attention to the 



400 A WEEK A3I0NG AUTOGRAPHS. 

subject, the writer will recur with increased pleasure 
to I] is iveeJc spent among autographs. 

ANOTHER WEEK AMONG THE AUTOGRAPHS. 

A number of valuable acquisitions has been made to 
the collection of T. K. Tefft, Esq. and his kindness 
permits the following notices of them to be commu- 
nicated to the public. 

We have, first, a letter from John Pynchon to his 
son in London, dated Boston, May 18, 1672. This 
was forty-two years after the settlement of Boston. 
The sight of this manuscript carries us back to " the 
day of small things " in that now populous and ex- 
tended city. We see in imagination its three or four 
churches scattered among the three hills of the place. 
We see its ^e\v crooked streets (a quality which they 
still possess,) winding about to accommodate the ga- 
thering settlers. Boston at this period contained 
probably three thousand inhabitants. Even then 
they were a noble set of men. Only eleven years 
after the date of this letter, when the colony of Mas- 
sachusetts fell under the displeasure of Charles II. 
who issued a decree against its charter, a legal town- 
meeting of the freemen was held, and the question 
was put to vote, whether it was their wish that the 
general court should resign tlie charter and the pri- 
vileges therein granted, and it was resolved in the 
negative unanimously. Soon after, Sir Edward An- 
dros was appointed the first royal governor, and his 
administration proving arbitrary and oppressive, tlie 
people took forcible possession of the fort in Boston, 



A WEEK AMONG AD TOGRAPIIS. 401 

and of the castle in the harbor, turned the guns upon 
the frigate Rose, and compelled her to surrender, 
seized the governor, and held him a close prisoner 
under guard in the castle. These were evidently the 
true progenitors of those sons, who, in 1765, resist- 
ed the Stamp Act, and in 1773 emptied the tea chests 
into the dock. 

The letter before us, however, which begins with 
*' Son Joseph," is only an effusion of anxiety and 
complaint from a loving father, who had heard no 
tidings from his son for a long time. He seems to 
have resided at Springfield, Mass., and to have made 
a journey all the way to Boston to hear something 
of his son. Though short, the letter is full of reli- 
gious expressions. How different in this respect 
from most letters in modern days. The writer prays 
that his son may be delivered from the tempest of 
the times, and so with his earnest prayers he leaves 
him to the Lord. 

The next specimen (we take them promiscuously, 
without classification,) is worth more than its weight 
in gold. It is no less than a long letter from the 
celebrated poet Wieland, author of Oberon, and nu- 
merous other works of the rarest merit. It is ad- 
dressed to Pfeffel, himself a jurist and diplomatist of 
considerable eminence. Many an enthusiastic Ger- 
man would cheerfully give a small bit of his little 
finger to be possessed of this treasure. It is observ- 
ed by Menzel, one of the ablest living German cri- 
tics, that " it was Wieland who first restored to Ger- 
man poetry the free and fearless glance of a child 



402 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

of the world ; a natural grace, a taste for cheerful 
merriment, and the power of affording it. The 
cheerful, amiable, refined Wieland, he continues, a 
genius exhaustless in grace and lightness, in wit and 
jest, banished the unnatural from German poetry^ 
discovered nature in the world as it is, and taught 
the national mind to move easily, firmly, and in har- 
mony." From this description, we may suppose 
that a German would value an autograph of Wie- 
land as highly as an Englishman would prize one 
of Pope or Addison, or an American, one of Irving. 
It does not diminish, but rather enhances the value 
of the specimen before us that it was written when 
Wieland was quite a young man — only about seven- 
teen years old ; for we have examples enough of his 
composition at more advanced periods, and our curio- 
sity is particularly gratified by seeing how the youth- 
ful poet and scholar expressed himself, so long before 
he felt the public eyes of admiration and criticism fas- 
tened upon him. The letter itself is of sufficient in- 
terest to be extracted entire. We make use, with a 
few immaterial alterations, of a translation furnish- 
ed Mr. Tefft by some German friend : 

"GoETTiNGEN, April 16, 1750. 

" Dearest and best Aulic Counsellor ;* 

" I have been waiting three or four days for the 
departure of the mail, to give you some accounts of 

* An Aulic Counsellor was one of the judges of the Supreme 
Court of the German empire. 



A WEEK A3I0NG AUTOGRAPHS. 403 

my journey and happy arrival at Goettingen. Our 
fate, as far down as Durlach, you have learned from 
Mr. Wild, I arrived safely at Frankfort, where I 
stayed the greatest part of the time with Mr. Sara- 
sin, and after three days went to Cassel, where I ex- 
perienced a kind reception from the Countess. She 
desired me to let the mail-coach proceed, and pro- 
mised to procure me a private conveyance for Goet- 
tingen, An acquaintance of hers conducted me 
through the whole town, and gave me a sight of 
every thing remarkable. I had her invitation for 
supper, breakfast, and dinner. I related to her the 
conduct of her son. — his faults — his indolence — 
without the least reserve. She was much pleased 
when she heard that, notwithstanding all of them, he 
still retained the affection of yourself and Mr. Lerfe. 
She promises to aid you in some suitable method to 
effect his correction. Full confidence is placed in 
your skill and experience in education, and she will 
shortly write to Colmar. The letter I received at 
Frankfort from the Count, gave her a great deal of un- 
easiness, as it spoke of a rising upon his right shoulder. 
It was her wish that he should drink beer in lieu of 
wine at his meals. iMay I beseech you, my dearest 
Mr. Pfeffel, to console her on these two points in your 
next monthly letter. She truly deserves all the at- 
tention and pains that you can take on her account. 
She is the noblest woman — the best mother — so 
without all pretension, and full of kindness. Never 
have I seen so many good qualities united in one 
woman. Do not consider this a blind judgment of 



401 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

mine ; on the contrary, I was fully prejudiced against 
her ere I knew her so completely, and I feel persuad- 
ed, that after the visit she intends paying you, you 
will be of the same opinion with me. The Count, 
as much as I esteem his good heart, is not worthy 
of such a mother. May you soon be able to give 
her better news of him. She expects none before the 
expiration of three months, but flatters herself that 
her contemplated measures, together with his govern- 
ors, will produce a change of mind. She gave me 
a letter of introduction to Pastor Feder, and desired 
me to write to her from time to time. 

"Monday the 10th, I arrived here at Goettingen. 
Your son is perfectly well. We board together 
with young Stonar, (an excellent youth,) Escher from 
Zurich, and Zwickig ; and as our chambers are close 
together, we can always be in company. He has 
given me his entire confidence, and I think we shall 
continue in the closest harmony. How great is my 
good fortune to cultivate that friendship with the 
son which his noblest father has honored me with ! 
To-morrow our lectures commence, four of which we 
have in common, and we can repeat together. 

" I cannot express my thanks for your letters of 
introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Less, and the kindness 
and indulgence you have favoured me with. It is 
my daily wish that an opportunity may occur to 
enable me by deeds to show that I am not ungrate- 
ful. 

"I am much pleased with this city and its esta- 
blishments, but never walked a more costly pavement. 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 405 

The purse must be continually in hand, and every- 
thing is paid for fourfold. 

*' May you, my dearest and best Aulic Counsellor^ 
continue in uninterrupted health. Remember me in 
the circles of your amiable friends, your dearest con- 
sort, Mr. Lerfe, Luce and his worthy companion, the 
country counsellor, most kindly ; and accept assu- 
rances of my everlasting attachment and regard. 
Your obedient friend and servant, Wielanu." 

The document receives an additional value by 
being endorsed in the hand-writing of PfefFel himself 
— " Wieland, ce 24 April, 1750." Thus we have a 
a double autograph on one instrument. 

We next take up a curious old affair, dated some- 
where in England, in 1662, and addressed to the Mr. 
John Pynchon already noticed. It purports to be a 
letter, partly of religious consolation, and partly 
of business ; and both consolation and business, as 
was the custom in those earnest old times, are dis- 
cussed with all the writer's heart. The hand. writing 
is beautiful, but peculiar, and not to be decyphered 
by many modern eyes. It displays a laudable atten- 
tion to economy of paper. There is nothing in it, 
however, sufficiently striking to demand an extract. 

Then follows a note from E. II. Barker, Esq. one 
of the book- worms of England, and editor of Web- 
ster's Dictionary in that country. It is an apology 
to a friend for not being able to find some volume or 
other belonging to him, but promises that " to-mor- 
row the fox shall be unearthed " from a very large 
box of books and papers where it lies. 



406 A WEEK A3I0NG AUTOGRAPHS. 

The next is a truly precious memorial — a note of 
Alexander Cunningham from Dr. Hugh Blair, author 
of the " Sermons" and " Lectures on Rhetoric." 
Both the authorship and the subject-matter induce 
us to extract it entire, although it has already been 
printed in Currie's Life of Burns. 

^^ Dear Sir, — As you told me that you had in 
view in the new Edition of Mr. Burn's works to pub- 
lish some of his Letters, I now send you enclosed 
(as I promised you,) his Letter of thanks to me upon 
his leaving Edinburgh. It is so much marked by 
the stroke of his Genius, that I thought it worth 
while to present it, among letters from some other 
persons. If you think it proper to be published with 
other Letters of his, I have no objection. You will 
please take a copy of it, and send me back the Ori- 
ginal, which I mean to keep. I would have called 
with it, but I am still confined by some remains of 
the Gout, and by a Cold which I contracted on com- 
ing to town. 

"Yours, most faithfully, Hugh Blair. 

** Argyle Square, Friday, 2d December. ^^ 

It will be seen here that Dr. Blair in a ^ew instances 
retains the antique fashion of beginning his noun. sub- 
stantives with capital letters. Another peculiarity, 
and identical with Sir Walter Scott's, which we for- 
merly noticed, is, that he rarely ever dots an i or crosses 
a t, and is much too sparing of his punctuation. 
Out of the thirty-eight small i's occurring in the note, 
to say nothing of several neglected j's, only five are 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 407 

dotted. What could have been the secret cause of 
this distinction ? Was it mere caprice, or was it 
everlasting principle 1 Perhaps a few dots were 
conscientiously sprinkled here and there to preserve 
the justi rights of this excellent little letter from ut- 
ter prostration. The t's fare a great deal worse, for 
they have not the sign of a cross from the beginning 
to the end of the note. There is nothing, not even 
a difference in length, to distinguish them from the 
lofty I's. The entire note, however, is written in a 
large, bold, legible hand ; wonderful almost, in fact, 
for a man of about eighty years of age, which Dr. 
B. must have been at the time of writing it. Do we 
then see before us the actual chirography in which 
were penned those beautiful and admirable sermons 
that have charmed so many thousand readers of taste 
and pious sensibility, as well as those far-famed lec- 
tures, which, in spite of some defects, have formed 
and guided the taste of the last and present genera- 
tions of English and American scholars ? Emotions, 
at once classical and sacred, may well be excused 
for overflowing at the sight of a relic like this. 
Nor can we be induced to dismiss it without fondly 
lingering over it a little longer, and detecting even 
the slightest peculiarity, which may transport us in 
imagination into the familiar presence of the much 
honored dead. Behold, then, the highly decorated 
flourish of the initial H in the signature of Hugh 
Blair ! See the long and graceful dash which the 
hand of the octogenarian struck forth upon the su- 
perscription of the note ! Who can fail to perceive 



408 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRArHS. 

even in these minute characteristics, the external 
traces of that elegant mind which had so long been 
employed in the fervent contemplation of beauty in 
ail its forms and manifestations ? 

We must also notice the large thick black wafer, 
which mutely tells the story of some recent bereave- 
ment in the family of the venerable sage. The ir- 
regular folds, which considerably differ from a per- 
fect parallelogram, shall be charitably ascribed to 
the trembling hand of age, or to the unavoidable 
hurry of the moment. Doubtless the writer had 
many billets to answer, and many attentions to 
respond to, on his occasional visits to town. Nor 
shall criticism be severe on the slight mistake at the 
beginning of the note, where, in the expression 
*' Mr. Burn's works," by a wrong location of the 
apostrophe, the poet's name is written as if it were 
Burn instead of Burns. We remember that some 
enemy of the Doctor during his lifetime, goaded by 
the fact that ten editions of the first volume of his 
sermons were called for in one year after their pub- 
lication, malignantly sent forth to the world an appal- 
linjx list of all sorts of errors discovered in that sin- 
gle volume of a Professor of Rhetoric and Belles 
Letters in the University of Edinburgh. A far dif- 
ferent feeling, even a sacred and revering curiosity, 
has actuated us in thus examining, as it were, the 
very shreds and dust of this hallowed instrument, 
which we now reluctantly dismiss. 

We have next a sensible, fatherly letter, dated 
Edinburgh, 1786, from the Earl of Dalhousie to 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 409 

some teacher in Colmar on the Continent, to whom 
he had consigned his two sons for their education. 
He wishes their preceptor to pay particular attention 
to their Latin, but leaves every thing else to his ex- 
perience and discretion. 

Following this, we take up what must be allowed 
on all hands to be quite an autographical gem. It 
is the superscription of a note, addressed by Frederic 
the Great to his confidential friend and correspondent, 
the distinguished Baron de la Motte Fouque. The 
paper employed by his Majesty was a thick, coarse, 
bluish white. But what had the greatest warrior of 
the age, when writing to one of his ablest generals, 
to do with pink-colored, hot-pressed, wire-wove, gilt- 
edge, billet-doux fabrics? The superscription is 
written in a noble and beautiful style — bold, grand, 
flowing, as if executed by a hand accustomed to the 
victories of the seven years' war — at the same time, 
however, perfectly distinct and legible, as if charac- 
teristic of a monarch who was equally inclined to 
the pursuits of literature and taste. The leading 
address is in French, after this fashion : 

" To my General of Infantry, 
The Baron de la Motte Fouque, 
at 

Brandenburg." 

At one corner of the superscription is written in 
the German language this announcement : — " Ac- 
companied by a box of cherries, and two melons." 
35 



410 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

On another fold of the paper is written in French, 
in Fouque's hand-writing, which confers on it a 
highly additional value, the following notice : — 

« Sans.Souci, July 5, 1766. 
Invitation to come to Sans-Souci, 
together with the reply." 

Sans-Souci, it will be remembered, was the well- 
known name of the palace near Potsdam, where 
Frederic the Great was fond of residing. He is 
sometimes called the philosopher of Sans-Souci. 

The autograph is still farther enriched by a dis- 
tinct and finely preserved seal of the royal coat of 
arms. The device is gorgeously beautiful. 

Two intelligent Germans, to whom we have shown 
the whole specimen, much doubt whether, after all, 
it contains the veritable hand-writing of the re- 
nowned monarch. They assert that Frederic hav- 
ing only had a French education, was incapable of 
writing such correct German as the inscription in 
the corner of the note. They think it probable that 
the whole direction proceeded from the pen of the 
Royal secretary. If these suggestions should prove 
correct, of course the delightful visions of our imagi- 
nation respecting the correspondency of the hand- 
writing with Frederic's character must be dispelled 
into air, unless we suppose that the secretary him- 
self, by long and intimate acquaintance with his 
master, had imbibed some of his lofty qualities. 

The votaries of legal literature may next enjoy a 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 411 

rare treat from inspecting a business-letter written 
by William Murray, afterwards Earl of Mansfield, 
to the Marchioness of Annandale. It is dated Lin- 
coln's Inn, 1st June, 1742, the year in which he was 
appointed Solicitor General at the age of thirty- 
seven. Accompanying, though unconnected with 
this letter, is the endorsement of a pecuniary draft 
by Lord Stormont, father of Lord Mansfield. 

Adjoining this, we have a ticket of admission into 
Professor Dalziel's highest Greek class, with the 
name of Alexander Murray written upon it by the 
Professor himself. Tlie sight of it may refresh 
many an eye that owes the deepest obligations to 
those lucid notes in the Collectanea Majora and Mi. 
nora. 

There is next a very curious historical document, 
penned by the Earl of Annandale in the year 1707, 
in the midst of the troubles which distracted Scot- 
land at that period. Many a letter has been printed 
far less interesting than this. It transports us to the 
very field of battle, where we are told of prisoners 
coming in and Highlanders threatening attacks, 
and the Duke of Argyle having returned to the camp, 
and eight score of the enemy having just been seen 
climbing the hills, &c. &;c., and all written on a 
piece of paper so small as to show the extreme scar- 
city of that article even in the government camp. 

Lo ! another precious relic ! A leaf from the 
Diary of Flenry Kirke White, the poet. We all re- 
member that poor Henry passed some time in an at- 
torney's ofiice before he was assisted by Mr Wil- 



412 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

berforce to prepare for an University education. 
While breathing that iingenial atmosphere, he com- 
mitted to paper this brief skeleton-record of a few of 
his unhappy days. The very sight of it is dreary 
and melancholy like the writer's heart. All that we 
here learn of his occupations, is^ that on Saturday, 
the Bth of some month or other, he was engaged in 
" entering up the Hall books ; on Monday the 10th, 
copying all the morning certain letters for Mr. En- 
field ; on Wednesday, fair copying a schedule of 
fine& and amercements ; on Thursday, do. do., 
another copy on unstamped parchment ; on Friday 
the 14th, drawing advertisement of two heifers, th« 
property of Edward Musson, being stolen or straye<l 
out of his close in the parish of Radford. Attend- 
ing the printer therewith," &;c. &c. 

One blessed blank appears amidst these worldly 
details. It is that of Sunday the 9th. Nothing is 
recorded under this date, except the simple day. 
And one cannot but vividly sympathise with such 
a being as Kirke White for this short though hap- 
py respite from labours which he must have loath- 
ed. Henry Kirke Wliite's Sabbath ! It is almost 
a subject for a poem. Imagination follows him to 
his closet, to his church, to his lonely evening 
walk, to the long portion of his night spent over 
his Bible, his ^Milton, or some of England's noblest 
divines. The hand-writing of this specimen is man- 
ly, and elegantly plain. 

This is succeeded by another rarity ; a letter from 
the celebrated George Whitefield, dated London, 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 413 

June 13, 1755, then in the 41st year of his age, 
to his nephew James Whitefield at Savannah in 
Georgia. It is so characteristic, that it must here be 
inserted entire : 

"My Dear Jemmy — I wrote to you a few days 
ago by a CaroHna ship, and since that have receiv- 
ed your two letters, which convinced me that you 
was not ungrateful. May this crime of crimes in 
respect either to God or man, be never justly laid to 
your charge ! Remember your present as well fu- 
ture and eternal all in a great measure depends on 
the improvement of a few growing years. Be steady 
and diligent and pious now, and you will find that 
God will do wonders for you. The Captain is might- 
ily pleased ; and your father, notwithstanding his 
affection to see you, is glad you are provided for. 
Your sister Fanny will soon be married, and Fanny 
Greville is already disposed of. Her husband (a 
young attorney of Bath,) hath sent me a very oblig- 
ing letter. Oh that my relations were born of God 1 
I hope you will not rest without it. To encourage 
you in outward matters, I have sent you, in part of 
payment, some loaf sugar, which I thought would be 
a good commodity. Your father also hath sent you 
some buckles, knit breeches, and a dolphin cheese, 
with a letter. AH which I hope will come to hand. 
Write often ; work hard, and pray much, and believe 
me to be, my dear Jemmy, 

*' Your affectionate uncle and assured friend, 

«G. W." 

a5* 



414 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

We next come to a little note of thanks from 
Frederic William, the present King of Prussia, to a 
German author, from whom he had received the pre- 
sent of a Biography of Calvin. The signature 
alone is in the hand-writing of Frederic, the rest of 
the note by some private secretary. There is no- 
thing else remarkable about it, except perhaps the 
royal munificence with which a whole sheet of su- 
perfine letter paper is devoted to the writing of three 
close lines. The circumstance marks perhaps an ad- 
vance in refinement from the whitey-brown paper 
employed in the note of Frederick's warlike prede- 
cessor, which has already been remarked upon. 

Following this, is a curious affair, which appears 
to be enveloped in a little mystery. It is something 
like a mourning card, containing an inscription by 
the celebrated Lavater. It was lately given to Dr. 
Sprague of Albany by Lavater's son-in-law at Zurich, 
in Switzerland, the birth-place and residence of the 
great physiognomist. The following is an exact 
translation of the whole inscription : 

*' To a Friend after my Death. 
Let every thing be a sin to thee, and that 
alone, which separates thee from the 
Lord. 18th November, 1794. L." 

The sentiment is so excellent, that we will attempt 
to give it here a metrical clothing : 

Detest as sinful, aird detest alone 
Whate'er removes thee from th' Eternal One. 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 415 

Another card succeeds, of a different kind, but of 
still more value, probably, as an Autograph. It is from 
the celebrated Goethe, who asks of Professor Riemer 
the loan, for a short time, of the Bohemian Gram- 
mar. This, by the way, is an excellent method of 
borrowing books. The card is a kind of substantial 
acknowledgment, which leads at once to the re- 
covery of a missing volume often of more value to 
its owner than money. When will the borrowers 
of books exercise consciences void of offence in this 
matterj and be as scrupulous in restoring to the pro - 
prietor some cherished author, or the fragment of 
some precious set of twelve or twenty volumes, as 
they are in renewing a note at the Bank or discharg- 
ing the bill of a flourishing tradesman ? Until a 
more scrupulous punctuality on this subject shall pre- 
vail, the morality and the civilization of literature 
will be far from perfect. To return to Goethe's 
card, we have only further to observe, that the signa- 
ture alone appears to be the hand-writing of the great 
magician. poet, while the rest of the manuscript pro- 
bably proceeded from his amanuensis. 

It was intimated on a former occasion that one 
of the strongest passions of Autograph-collectors is 
to procure a complete list of the Signers of the De- 
claration of Independence. Mr. Tefft has recently 
received from his friend, Dr. Sprague of Albany, 
among numerous other invaluable specimens, the au- 
tograph of Richard Stockton^ one of the Signers of 
the Declaration. It has been for years upon his 
list of desiderata, and was almost despaired of, as be- 



416 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

ing probably no longer extant. Accompanying it 
was an autograph of Mrs. Richard Stockton, the 
poetess, who received from Gen. Washington the 
highest compUment he ever paid. 

Among the less important documents of this col- 
lection, we have — 

First, A Note, dated Strasbourg, 1785, from 
Charles, Prince of Soleure, who appears to be a very 
dutiful young prince, and is anxious to make arrange- 
ments for a visit from his two brothers. 

Next, A Note from Constable, the great Edin- 
burgh publisher, enclosing Two Guineas to Alex- 
ander Murray, who has sketched on the back of it 
the outlines of a sermon. 

Next, one from Sophie de la Roche, a celebrated 
authoress of the last century, who appears in this note 
to address some English friends who had placed a 
daughter under her care at Spire. 

Next, a superscription in the hand-v/riting of 
Spring Rice, one of the ablest of the present ministry 
of Great Britain. 

Next, a Note of two lines from Benjamin Constant, 
informing Monsieur Monod where some individual 
resides. This is a valuable autograph. 

Next, one from Napier, the present editor of the 
Edinburgh Review, who almost rivals his predeces- 
sor Lord Jeffrey for the illegibility and obliquity of 
his manuscript. 

Next, a precious scrap from Alexander Humboldt, 
informing some publisher of the height of the city 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 417 

of Hague, to be noticed in the margin of a forth- 
coming volume. 

Next, a Manuscript Leaf from the original copy 
of the celebrated " Words of a a Believer," by the 
Abbe de la Mennais. Wild as the work is, he ap- 
pears to have adopted much pains and method in the 
transcription of it. 

Next, a sweet little Quaker Note from Amelia Opie 
to some bookseller, ordering a number of works, 
which she wishes to present to a friend. 

Next, a billet from George Combe, the celebrated 
phrenologist, on the subject of an overcharged let- 
ter in the Post-Office. 

Next, a scrap from Dr. Bo wring, soliciting inter- 
est to obtain certain subscriptions. 

We then come to a mass of billets, memoranda, 
and letters — from Schlosser, an admired German 
poet ; from Grand Pierre, head of the Mission School 
in Paris, a very eloquent and able man ; from D' 
Aubigne Professor at Geneva, author of the History 
of the Reformation, and various other works ; from 
Gaussen, another distinguished professor at Geneva ; 
from Steffens, the great natural philosopher ; from 
Raumer, author of Travels in England, &;c. &c. ; 
from Gesenius, the Biblical critic ; from Cheneviere, 
author of many works; from Philip Buttman, the 
great Greek scholar ; from Francis Bopp, the best 
Sanscrit scholar of the age ; from Freytag, the Ori- 
entalist ; from Frederic de Schleiermacher, the great- 
est theologian of his time ; from A. PfefTel, the 
diplomatist, and brother of the blind poet ; from 



418 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

John Henry Pestalozzi, distinguished for his efforts 
in the cause of education, &c. ; from Boettiger, the 
celebrated Antiquarian ; from Tvvester, author of 
many works ; from Professor Hengstenberg, the 
great Biblical critic, &c. ; from Coquard, the poet, 
preacher, &;c. &;c. ; from Malan, the reformer ; from 
the Bishop of Exeter ; from the Bishop of Quebec ; 
from G. De Felece, one of the most learned theolo- 
gians in France ; a leaf from Busler's Church His- 
tory, &c. &;c. &;c. ; Notes or letters from George 
Bennett, Esq. the excellent missionary circumnaviga- 
tor ; from William Youngman, author of various theo- 
logica and other works, a man of great talent ; from 
George Payne, Tutor at the Western Academy, and 
author of the Elements of Mental Philosophy ; from 
Felix of Bolbec, one of the ablest theological writ- 
ers in France ; from Principal Baird of Edinburgh, 
who applauds and criticises a literary work recent- 
ly presented him by a friend ; from the Rev. Dr. 
Lee, the greatest ecclesiastical historian in Scotland ; 
from J. S. Buckingham, the indefatigable and enter- 
prising Member of the House of Commons ; from 
John Wilks, the celebrated living champion of the 
Dissenting interest in Great Britain ; from the 
Duchess de Broglie, daughter of Madame De Stael ; 
fro^m the late Dr. Robert Winter, the revered patri- 
arch of the Baptist denomination ; from Pfeffel, 
nephew of the German poet, and ambassador to 
Bavaria ; from David Irving of Edinburgh, a dis- 
tinguished author ; from the Rev. Dr. Arundel, Se- 
cretary of the London Missionary Society, to George 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 419 

Bennett, Esq. — an interesting letter ; from the Rev. 
Greville Ewing of Glasgow, author of a Greek Lex- 
icon and other works, a letter evincing great deli- 
cacy of sentiment ; from Oberlin, a celebrated Pro- 
fessor at Strasburg ; from the German poet Knebel, 
translator of Lucretius, &c, ; from Mullner, one of 
the greatest tragedians of Germany, whose merits 
have been made known in England by translations 
of several of his tragedies in Blackwood's Magazine ; 
from the Rev. Dr. Burnet, one of the ablest extem- 
pore speakers in Great Britain ; and from the Mar- 
chioness of Annandale, dated 1725, acknowledging 
the receipt of £1500, arrears of jointure, due her 
from her husband. 

The admirers of German sacred literature will be 
gratified by the inspection of a manuscript leaf from 
the original of Neander's Church History. He 
is the most popular ecclesiastical historian of the 
present day. The sheet before us appears to be the 
conclusion of the explanatory notes, and inculcates 
the spirit in which true Christianity can alone be 
received and cultivated, viz : the spirit of a little 
child. This manuscript was presented by the au- 
thor himself to the Rev. Dr. Sprague of Albany, 
who again generously transferred it to Mr. Tefft. 

Allusion has already been once or twice made to 
Dr. Alexander Murray. This gentleman was Pro- 
fessor in the University of Edinburgh, and the great- 
est Oriental scholar of his day. He died about the 
year 1813. He was author of a " History of the Eu- 
ropean Languages," " Life of Bruce the Traveller,' 



420 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGHAPliS. 

and other works. We have before us a few extreme- 
ly interesting memorials of his genius and pursuits. 
One of them is a sheet of paper, crowded in every 
part with some of the exercises of the great linguist 
in acquiring a foreign tongue. Among his other ac- 
complishments, he was an elegant poet ; and accord- 
ingly, we have here a few rough but very curious 
sketches from his muse. The following unfinished 
stanza, which appears to be the commencement of 
a song intended for some festive club, will strong- 
ly remind us of the daring, reckless tone of Robert 
Burns : — 

" Though whingean' carles should vex their hearts, 

And ca' our social meetings sin, 
Avva ! we ken their halie arts ! 

An honest man. defies their din. 
When brithers twelve in Session sat, 

And He was Head that ken'd them a', 
The Deil came ben, and claim'd his debt, 

The sourest man ." 

Probably he was here about to write amang them a\ 
But perceiving that it would make a false rhyme, he 
threw by the whole affair, which has thus remained 
incomplete. 

On another scrap of paper, we find a few elegiac 
stanzas, quite unfinished, and full of interlineary cor- 
rections and erasures, but intermingled with beautiful 
touches of poetry. 

A gentleman of Charleston, S. C. has recently 
presented Mr. Tefft with a letter addressed to him 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 421 

seventeen years ago, by the celebrated Macauldy, 
late a distinguished member of Parliament, and now 
a Judge in Bombay, and one of the most brilliant 
contributors to the Edinburgh Review. It was writ- 
ten when both himself and his correspondent were 
members of the University of Cambridge in England, 
and bears evident marks of that resplendent talent 
which has since so frequently dazzled and delighted 
the public of Great Britain. Some characteristics 
of Macauley as a writer may be found in the Prun- 
ing Knife of Southern Rose, Vol, 4, No. 8. 

Another gentleman of Charleston has contributed 
a signature of Gen. Moultrie, attached to some pub- 
lic instrument, and accidentally found in the street. 
Moultrie had a curious device or flourish with which 
he ornamented his signature. It resembled more than 
any thing else o. fortificationf with its bastions, its sa- 
lient angles, its retreating angles, its squares, com- 
partments, &c. Might there not have been always 
about him a kind of unconscious memory of the most 
important crisis of his life, and which outwardly ex- 
pressed itself in this very characteristic manner ? 

In a former article on Autographs, we mentioned 
the collection of the Rev. Dr. Raffles of Liverpool. 
We are now permitted to present the following ex- 
tract of a letter from that gentleman to Mr. TefTt 
respecting some portion of his collection, and we 
must confess that the extraordinary value and mag- 
nificence of its contents far surpass our utmost pre- 
vious conceptions. 

" You ask me about my collection of Autographs, 
36 



422 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

my method of arrangement, &lc. «Sz;c. I have se^ 
veral series. The first and principal series consists 
of the autographs, chiefly letters, of eminent and 
remarkable persons of all classes and countries from 
the time of Henry VI l. of England to the present 
day. These are put upon tinted paper of folio size ; 
one leaf of the paper containing the autograph, and 
the other the portrait, or something else illustrative 
of the history of the individual : — for instance, with 
Addison's autograph you will find his portrait after 
Sir Godfrey Kneller, and an original number of the 
Spectator. With Dr. Johnson's, you will find a 
view of the house in which he was born, at Litch- 
field, and the house in which he died, 6zc. This 
collection I hope soon to bind, and expect it will 
amount to twenty volumes. To this I intend adding 
a supplementary volume of Biographical Notices. 
This volume is alphabetically arranged. 

2d — My American collection* This is not yet ar- 
ranged. It contains the signers of the Declaration 
of Independence — one of which alone is wanting* 
— all the Presidents, with many of the Vice-Presi- 
dents and Governors of States ; Divines, and other 
public characters, — civil, naval, military and mis- 
cellaneous. I have not yet determined as to the 
way in which I shall arrange these ; but if on folio 
tinted paper like the others, I should think that it 
would amount to eight or ten volumes. 

3d — Authors, 1 have a large collection of letters 

* Greorge Taylor. 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 423 

of authors of all kinds, which I intend to bind up 
alphabetically, with portraits in quarto, leaving a 
blank leaf between each letter for biographical no- 
tices. This will contain many duplicates of such 
as are in the first-mentioned series, and to these I 
may perhaps add Artists. 

4th — Nobility. Containing duplicates of such as 
are in the first collection by reason of their celebri- 
ty, or in the third in consequence of their being 
authors ; or such as, having nothing but their rank 
to distinguish them, are already in neither of the 
above series. 

5th — To the above classes I may add several 
distinct and separate volumes, which are complete 
in themselves ; — e. g. 

A volume containing one hundred and twenty au- 
tographs, letters of the late Rev. Andrew Fuller — 
quarto. 

A volume containing letters of Fuller, Ryland, 
Fawcett, Pearce (of Birmingham,) <Sz;c. — folio. 

A volume of letters to George Whitefield, all en- 
dorsed by himself — folio. 

Do. Do. — quarto. 

The entire MS. of James Montgomery's Pelican 
Isle, with other poems, composing his last published 
volume — quarto. 

The entire MS. of WifFen's translation of Tasso 
— 2 vols, quarto. 

The Church Book of Oliver Heywood, the reject- 
ed Minister. — An invaluable little book, written 
wholly with his own hand, containing his covenant, 



424 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

and that of the church, and biographical notices of 
the members. 

A Thesis, by Dr. Watts. 

A Manuscript (Algebra,) by Abraham Sharp of 
Bradford, the friend and correspondent of Sir Isaac 
Newton, — a 4to. vol. 

A considerable collection of foreigners, not in- 
eluded in the first series. 

A collection of Notes, which will form several 
volumes octavo. 

A folio volume of documents on vellum. 

A folio volume o^fraiiks of the Peers at the coro- 
nation of George IV, &;c. &;c. &;c. 

I am, sir, &c. Thos. Raffles." 

In a letter recently received. Dr. Raffles says : 
" Pray, are your Signers complete ? I look with 
mingled emotions of sorrow and hope upon the only 
hiatus I have in mine." 

We formerly inquired why so considerable a pro- 
portion of Autograph-collectors appear to be clergy" 
men» Might not a phrenologist account for it by 
the faculty of remrence, which may be supposed to 
be common between both descriptions of persons ? 
The same sentiment which conducts the mind to 
the venerable records of Scripture, and to the An- 
cient of Days, may guide them also to other relics 
of antiquity, and every surviving memorial of 
greatness. The following paragraph from the 
newspapers exhibits this taste in rather a curious 
form : — 

" The Rev. Dr. Cotton, ordinary of Newgate, 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 425 

has, far a long series of years, been devoting his at- 
tention to the collection of dying speeches, trials, &c. 
of celebrated criminals, as well as their autographs ; 
and whenever they could possibly be obtained, of 
their portraits also. The Rev. Ordinary likewise 
possesses an extraordinary collection of Chinese 
drawings, representing the torments in after-life 
upon evil-doers, according to Chinese belief." 

In our iirst essay on Autogra^s, we complained 
that the English Cyclopedias contained very scanty 
and miserable notices of the subject. A friend has 
since kindly conveyed to us a volume of the " Dic- 
tionnaire de la Conversation et de la Lecture," from 
which we translate the following article, as an 
appropriate conclusion to oqr autographic lucubra- 
tions. 

"Autograph, from the Greek autos, self, and 
grapJio, to write, signifies a writing from an author's 
own hand. If the men of former generations had 
attached the same value as we do to autograph 
manuscripts of great writers, to letters, and to the 
signatures of celebrated personages, we should nei- 
ther be compelled to regret the loss of so many 
Greek, Latin, and French productions, of which 
there remain scarcely the titles or even a melancho- 
ly remembrance, nor the destruction of so many 
letters, memoirs, and diplomatic documents, which 
might have assisted in dissipating the darkness and 
the contradictions that envelope the history of an- 
cient times and the middle ages, and in filling up 
the chasms with which it abounds. In countries 
36* 



426 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHSf. 

where elementary instruction is as yet but little dif- 
fused, in ages when it was unknown, and even at 
very recent epochs, when it was too much neg- 
lected, avaricious, ignorant, or superstitious heirs 
sold by weight, or delivered to the flames, without 
scruple and without examination, all papers which 
had been transmitted them by deceased relatives. 
This is no longer th^e case at the present day, espe- 
cially at Paris. Tne preservation of papers and of 
autograph writings has become the object of a spe- 
cial anxiety, of a sort of idolatry, which among some 
individuals has degenerated into a mania, a folly. 
From this state of things has resulted a new kind of 
commerce, which traffickers and speculators openly 
undertake for the sake of profit. Letters, auto- 
graphic documents, signatures affixed to diplomas, to 
public acts, or to receipts, upon paper or parchment, 
are taken clandestinely from public libraries, from 
various archives, and from other literary and poli- 
tical depositories, by unfaithful officers or unscru- 
pulous amateurs. They are sought for, they are 
discovered, among grocers and dealers in goods. 
Purchased for a mere trifle, they are resold to the 
curious at a very high price. The search for these 
kinds of manuscripts has also produced a new 
branch of industry. As comparatively but few per- 
sons are wealthy enough to form expensive collec- 
tions of autographs, the defect is supplied by en- 
gravings, and by the still more economic processes 
of lithography. Facsimiles^ traced after the origi- 
nals, have been published, either separately, or in 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 427 

new editions of our best classic authors, Corneille, 
Racine, Boileau, Bossuet, Fenelon, Lafontaine, Ma- 
dame de Sevigne, Voltaire, J. J. Rousseau, &c. 
They have been inserted in picturesque travels and 
other works. But it is principally in collections 
devoted to the purpose that they are found in the 
greatest number. One of the most prominent is the 
work entitled " VIconographie Vniverselle" (Univer- 
sal Likeness-Magazine,) where ihQ facsimile of each 
illustrious personage is subjoined to a biographical 
notice of him, accompanied by his portrait. It is 
especially in V Isographie des hommes ceUhreSj 
{Hand.writings of celebrated Men Imitated,) publish- 
ed in thirty-one numbers in quarto, from 1827 to 
1830, that we find the most curious and the most 
numerous collection of fac-similes of autograph let- 
ters and signatures. It contains not less than seven 
hundred, of which the originals were borrowed from 
the library of the King, from those of Vienna, 
Prague, Munich, &;c., from the archives of the 
kingdom and of the different bureaus of administra- 
tion, and from private cabinets. Lithographic col- 
lections of autographs have likewise appeared in 
England and in Germany ; but they are neither so 
complete, nor so well arranged, nor so well executed. 
The Royal Library of Paris possesses an immense 
collection of manuscripts, autograph letters, and 
signatures of kings, princes, ministers, warriors, 
scholars, and illustrious persons of both sexes, whe- 
ther French or foreigners, from the 13th century to 
the present time. Conspicuous among them are the 



428 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

voluminous correspondences of Marguerite of Va- 
lois, Queen of Navarre ; of the Dukes of Guise, 
the constable de Montmorency, the mareschal de 
Saulx-Tavannes, the cardinals du Bellay, de Riche- 
lieu, de Retz and de Noailles, de Peiresc, and de 
Bouillaud ; collections of letters from Francis I. 
Henry IV. Louis XIV ; the original manuscript of 
the Telemachus of Fenelon. There also is a choice 
selection of signatures by men of every kind of ce- 
lebrity, affixed to receipts and other instruments on 
parchment, among which are three or four signed 
by Moliere, and discovered a {e\v years ago. This 
is all that remains of the hand-writing of our most 
illustrious comic author. Several thousand pounds' 
weight of parchments of a similar description have 
been sold at different times for very insignificant prices 
to tradesmen, who, after selecting out the rarest and 
most interesting specimens, have sold them again to 
different amateurs. The rest has been passed off" 
to bookbinders and to glue-makers.* Autographs 
also abound in the archives of the Palais de Justice, 
and the different departments of administration, still 
more in the archives of the kingdom, where, among 
rare and curious documents, there is preserved a 
charter of St. Louis, together with the original of 
the instrument containing the famous oath pro- 
nounced, in the tennis-court at Versailles, in 1789, 
and subscribed by the great majority of deputies to 
the States General. In the same place, also, are 

♦ Glue, it may be remembered, is made from skins, and of 
course from parchments. — S. Rose. 



A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 429 

preserved the signatures of all the members of the 
National Convention, and of several other legisla- 
tive assemblies. However rich France may be in 
autographs, she is surpassed, not in number, but in 
antiquity and rarity, by Italy and Spain, if it is 
true that the library of Florence contains the Gos- 
pel of St. John, written by his own hand, and that 
several autograph manuscripts of St. Augustine exist 
in the library of the Escurial. The most important 
collections of autograph letters and signatures in 
the possession of amateurs in Paris, are those of 
M. Le Courte de Chateau-Giron ; the late Marquis 
de Dolomieu ; Mons. de Monmerque, counsellor of 
the royal court ; Mons. Guilbert-Pixerecourt, a pro- 
fessor of literature ; Mons. Berard, a Deputy and 
Counsellor of State ; Mons. Berthevin, formerly 
keeper of the Royal Printing Establishment. That 
of Mons. Villenave, more numerous perhaps than 
the others, contains, it is said, twenty-two thousand 
signatures or different writings ; but the greatest 
part of them were inscribed by persons more re- 
markable by their rank, their titles, and their of- 
fices, than for their actions or productions. For 
instance, all the French generals of the Revolution, 
even the most obscure, figure in this collection. 
We will also refer to the collections of M. de Saint- 
Gervais, the Marquis Aligre, M, Anatole de Mon- 
tesquieu, and Mons. Perie, director of the Museum 
at Nimes, and husband of Madame Simons-Can- 
deille." 

Note. — It may be mentioned, as an instance of 



430 A WEEK AMONG AUTOGRAPHS. 

the extreme difficulty of procuring a complete set of 
the signatures to the Declaration of Independence, 
that Mr. Tefft, although an American, and enjoying 
for many years great facilities in the pursuit of au- 
tographs, has been able, with the utmost exertions, 
to procure no more than thirty -nine out of the ori- 
ginal ^/!y.5ia? signatures. It is remarkable that Dr. 
Raffles of Liverpool should have been so much more 
successful in this branch of the pursuit. Mr. Tefft's 
present list of desiderata is as follows : — Braxton, 
Floyd, Hart, Lynch, jun., L. Morris, Middleton, 
Morton, Nelson, jun., Penn, Ross, Read, Rodney, 
Stone, Smith, Taylor, Thornton, Wilson. Should 
the present notices ever meet the eye of some happy 
possessor of any of these lacking signatures, per- 
chance he may be still happier by generously trans- 
mitting them to the address of I. K. Tefft, Esq. 
Savannah, who, we feel assured, would in that in- 
stance complete the degrees of comparison, and be- 
come in very deed the happiest. 



THE END. 



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